Look Beneath The Surface
by LunarEclipse360
Summary: Four girls, different situations, one consequence. Thrust into a world that lies in secret, these girls can only hope that someone will save them from a life no one wants to live. T&G C&T Z&S R
1. Prologue

**Look Beneath The Surface**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: I don't own any rights_**

**A/N: okay. This is my new story and it a story concerning a rising trend in society, one that you can't see, but it right under your nose. What am I talking about? It's called human trafficking. They call it the modern day slavery and it is happening all around you. Some people who have heard about it, but never read up on it believe that it only happens in poor countries. On the contrary, it doesn't just take place in poorer countries, it also takes place in the richest country in the world. That's right my fellow Americans, I'm talking about the good ole' US of A. We have one of the highest numbers of people being trafficked into our country. Men, women and children are trafficked around the globe. Women and children are trafficked the most and are no only sold for labor purposes, but also for prostitution. This crisis is something governments around the globe want to get rid over, but because it is so secretive, it is hard to figure out where and how many people are taken.**

_Prologue_

**A Boat (Somewhere in the Pacific)**

The sound of sea birds awoke the petite Filipina from her sleep. She opened her eyes and sat up slightly in her small makeshift bed. She glanced around at all the other girls her age who were stuck in the same predicament as her. They were still asleep. She turned over to where the air holes were. These were the only source of light, but also the only source of air. She would have been more grateful for them if it wasn't for the fact that they let in the cold air at night.

She stared out the hole in front of her, admiring the ocean. Even though she had lived near the ocean all her life, she had never been this far out on it. Her father used to take her out on the ocean all the time when she was younger. Thinking about her father made her heart ache. It had been days since she saw her parents. Days since she was thrusted into this predicament. She subconsciously reached up to the shell necklace that hung from her neck. It was a birthday gift from her little brother.

Her family wasn't exactly rich. In fact, they were the complete opposite. They were poorer than the poorest of people in the Philippines. They lived in a shack with only two rooms. One room was her parents' room and the other, hers, her brother's and her grandmother's. It wasn't the best way to live but it was home to her. Unfortunately, her simple life was interrupted by an unexpected illness.

Around five months ago, her brother caught Malaria and had to be hospitalized, but her parents couldn't pay for the hospital bills. Without wanting to, they borrowed from a loan shark in order to pay the fees. Her brother recovered in a month's time, giving her parents only three months to pay the loan shark back. Sadly, they were too poor to pay up, so as compensation, she was taken from her family to be sold in the underground market. She was now a victim of human trafficking.

Her eyes glazed over as she stared out into the open ocean. The thought of seeing her family again never once crossed her mind as she traveled under wraps on this one way trip to America. She closed her eyes and a single tear slid down her face as she remembered her parents, her grandmother and her little brother. They now were just pieces of her past; pieces that would never be put back together.

**Moscow, Russia**

The brunette walked the snow covered streets, looking for the place she had written on a small piece of paper in her hands. The anticipation in her grew as she came closer to her destination. She was a model, or at least she wanted to be. She had so many dreams that she wanted to live, modeling being one of them, and going to America, the other. She had found a modeling agency in Moscow, one that worked from the States. She saw this as her chance to live out her dreams.

Finally she came across the building she was looking for. She went inside and found it was nothing like she had thought it would be. It looked like any other apartment building. She looked at the apartment number and went in search for the door. When she found it, she knocked heavily.

"What do you want?" came a voice from the other side.

"I'm here for the modeling job," she said and the door opened, revealing a stout man in his early forties.

"Come in, child." As soon as she had walked in, he closed the door and locked it. "Please, have a seat. Make yourself comfortable." She took off her coat and sat down on the couch. "Would you like anything to drink?"

"Um, yes, please." He nodded and disappeared into the kitchen.

"So, you want to be a model?" he said from the other room.

"Yeah. It's always been my dream."

"Well, you're in luck," he said as he came back into the living room, handing her the cup.

"Thank you." She took a sip and he grabbed a chair, seating it in front of her.

"How old are you? If you don't mind me asking."

"Nineteen."

"That's a good age." He looked her up and down before his eyes snapped up to hers. "Are you comfortable with wearing lingerie?" She nodded her head and took another sip of her drink. He smirked and nodded. "Good. Cause you'll be wearing a lot of that." She wondered what he meant by that, but her concern quickly went away when she began feeling lightheaded.

She put a hand to her head and tried to steady the spinning in her head. She looked over at the man, who just sat there with a grin on his face. Without noticing, the rest of her drink spilled from her hand and the glass came crashing down to the floor. It wasn't long before she felt her body hit the couch and everything around her went black.

**A Yacht (off the coast of South Africa) _(If some of the things they say sound weird, it's because they're British and I use British slang. For an easier reading experience, I'll put the meaning beside it.)_**

The petite blonde sat at the edge of the yacht with her head in her palms. She didn't know why she agreed to coming out in the middle of the ocean with her brother. He claimed it was away to get away from everything else, but she liked everything else. She liked the attention she got from the guys.

"Cheer up, Shar," she heard her brother say from beside her.

"How can I cheer up, Ryan? I'm stuck on a boat in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean?"

"Oh, come on, sis. It can't be that bad out here," he said sitting next to his sister.

"It can be when the only person around is my brother," she mumbled.

"Did you put on your bathers **(Bathing suit)**?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Cause we're going swimming."

"Are you mad? I'm not going swimming in the ocean. Who knows what could be out there."

"Fine. I'll go by myself then." She watched as her brother jumped into the clear ocean below and resurface a few feet away. She sighed and turned on her back, ready to bathe in the sun. She lowered her sunglasses and put on her headphones, blocking out the world

She was too wrapped up in her peaceful tan to notice a boat coming towards hers. Her brother, however, did notice and struggled to call out to his sister. She couldn't hear him with her headphones on and didn't register the fact that someone was now on the yacht with her until a shadow hovered over her.

"Ryan, you're blocking my sun," she said but the figure didn't move. She removed her sunglasses. "Ryan, will you bloody mo..." She stopped in the middle of her sentence when she realized the figure above her wasn't her brother.

"Ello poppet," the figure said, his British accent apparent as he reached down and grabbed her. She let out a loud scream as she struggled to get free.

"Sharpay. Hold on!" Ryan yelled as he struggled to reach his sister.

"Ryan! Help!" she screamed and the man clamped his hand over the blonde's mouth. He dragged her over to the edge where his boat sat and handed her to the man on the other side.

"Shar!" By the time Ryan reached the yacht, it was too late. The boat had driven away with his twin sister aboard. He held his head down, feeling like he failed his own flesh and blood. "I'll get you back, Shar. I promise."

**New Orleans, Louisiana**

Her brown tresses blew in the wind as she walked down the streets of the French Quarter. All her attention was focused on everything around her. Despite the fun atmosphere that was going on, she only had fear in her heart. Fear that the illegal loans she had taken out in order to pay for school would come back to haunt her. She had been warned many times to be wary of loan sharks, but did she listen? No, she didn't. She borrowed from a loan shark and now she was afraid for her life.

She had been out of school for two years now and her job search had been a total waste. It was only a month ago when she received a phone call, one concerning her loan. She had told him that she couldn't pay him back, not yet and he'd given her a month to pay him back. Well, it was near that time to pay up and she had nothing.

Her goal was to stay away from her apartment and from her parents' home. She knew those would be the places he would look for her first. As she walked down the street, she didn't notice the looming shadow until it was too late. She was pulled into an alley and pushed against a wall.

"Thought you could run from me, huh?"

"Please don't hurt me," she cried.

"I'm not gonna hurt you. Why would I do that when you have a debt to pay back?"

"What are you gonna do to me?"

"You'll see sooner or later." He pulled a piece of cloth from his pocket and pressed it against her nose. She struggled to get free but it was no use. The cloth was covered in chloroform. In a few seconds, her body went limp and sagged against his. He picked her up and left the alley, making sure to stay in the shadows so no one could see.


	2. Chapter 1

**Look Beneath the Surface**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing_**

**A/N: sorry for taking so long with this one. I was having a few blocks with this, but then something motivated me to update. You guys get a treat today, four stories updated. Why? Because I just got finished seeing HSM 3 and loved it. I can't wait for it to come on DVD. 'Can I Have This Dance?' and 'Scream' are my favorite songs. 'Can I Have This Dance?' is just absolutely beautiful and it made me emotional. 'Scream' brings out the angst in Troy that I've been waiting to see, one that was deprived of him in HSM 2.**

_Chapter 1_

**A Few Miles Outside Of Los Angeles**

Her lungs burned and her legs ached, but the adrenaline in her body wouldn't let her slow down. She had to escape; had to get out. Though she knew nothing about the world around her, she didn't care. All she cared about was finding someone who would help her.

Voices came loudly from the darkness behind her and she knew they were gaining on her. She had to run faster, but her tired muscles wouldn't allow it. Civilization was close; she could tell by the bright lights that lay ahead of her. Would she make it there? She didn't know, but she had to try. The voices got closerbut she couldn't be sure whether they were gaining on her or she was slowing down. She finally reached the edge of the forest and came to a cliff. Below her lay a vibrant city, still alive with nightlife.

This was her chance to get away. She moved to run along the edge of the cliff, but felt something wrap around her neck and pull her back.

"Woo doggy, ya caught her Bud," she heard as she tried to loosen the rope around her neck. Out of the forest stepped four men, three of them holding dogs in their grips. The one holding the rope stepped closer to her and smiled.

"Why, hello there, sweetheart. We've been looking for you." She stared up at him with tear glazed eyes and watched as he pulled out a tranquilizer gun; aiming it at her arm and pulling the trigger. Things after that went dark.

-

-

Her brown eyes stayed on the girl unconscious on the floor, waiting for her to wake up. It had been two days since they brought her into the house. Two days that she still hadn't woken. Running a hand through her blonde hair, Sharpay began to worry. Finally the girl began to stir and Sharpay grinned.

"She's waking up!" she shouted in her thick British accent. The other girls in the room gathered around Sharpay and the unconscious girl. The anticipation was heavy as they watched her eyes open, revealing her dark brown eyes. "It's about time you woke," Sharpay said and the girl blinked in response. She looked around at the others, confused about where she was.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Sharpay Evans. And you are?"

"Taylor McKessie," she said as she sat up. "Where am I?"

"Nowhere special," said one of the other girls that stood over her.

"We call it hell," Sharpay said. "Just one of the many nicknames." Conversation was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. In walked a rather large man carrying a small brunette in his arms. He deposited her on the nearest bed and left the room. "Oh, no, Gabriella." Sharpay got up and walked over to the lying unconscious on the bed.

Taylor got up and followed Sharpay. "What happened to her?"

"She ran," Sharpay answered and brushed a few strands of hair from the brunette's face. "She tried to run away and they caught her. Poor girl."

"Why is she asleep?"

"They probably tranquilized her. When we've done something wrong, they either tranquilize us or beat us. She got the lucky end of the stick, though I don't doubt they won't beat her when she comes to."

"W-What exactly goes on in here?" Sharpay's eyes darkened at the question and she sighed, looking at Taylor.

"Horrible things. Things that would and will haunt you for the rest of your life."

"Like what?"

"You'll find out soon enough." A soft groan was heard from beside Sharpay and both girls turned their heads. "Gabriella," Sharpay said softly and the brunette's eyes fluttered open.

"S-Sharpay?" she said lowly. Sharpay smiled sadly and brushed her hair out of her face.

"Yeah, it's me, Gabriella."

"I tried…"

"Shh. I know. I know. Just sleep. The longer you sleep, the more time you have to avoid getting a beating." Gabriella nodded and went back to sleep. Sharpay sighed and stood up.

"Sharpay, I need to know what I'm in for," Taylor said and Sharpay nodded. Sighing, she led Taylor over to the other side of the room and sat down.

"Have you ever heard of human trafficking?"

"Yeah, but what does that have to…?" A gasp escaped Taylor's lips as realization washed over her. "You mean, this…_us_, we're a part of it?"

"Yep. Welcome to the modern slavery." Taylor buried her face in her hands and held back the urge to cry.

-

-

**Los Angeles Police Headquarters, Precinct 14**

Chad Danforth sat at his desk, staring at the picture of his best friend. He had received a phone call from her parents a few days ago and they told him about her disappearance. They had called her time and time again, but she never answered her phone. None of her friends had seen her or knew where she was. This bothered him. It was like she had fallen off the face of the earth.

"Danforth." Chad looked up towards the door and watched as his captain walked through the door.

"Yes, captain?"

"I have just received word from Federal Investigators about a human trafficking house a few miles out of the city limits."

"Human trafficking? As in illegal slave trade?"

"Affirmative." He dropped a folder on Chad's desk and proceeded to tell him more as Chad opened the folder. "According to FBI agents, the man you see on the first paper was seen three times four months ago. The first time was at the docks. They're not sure if it was male or female, but it was definitely human. The second was at LAX, this time picking up the second man on the next paper," Chad turned the paper and the captain continued, "along with a blonde haired girl. She looked about eighteen maybe younger. The third time was also at LAX, this time picking up a brunette." Chad picked up the next two profiles and looked at them. "The one in your left hand crossed the border in a large van, supposedly with furniture, but they know better than that. The one in your right hand was seen at LAX a few days ago with a girl. They met up with the first guy I introduced to you. According to the Fed's she looked pretty drugged up. They told security that she was just tired."

"Why are you telling me all of this?"

The captain took a deep breath before continuing. "According to airport security, the girl that was picked up from the airport with the other guy was maybe twenty or so. She was African-American." Chad looked up at the man in front of him, hoping that what he was about to say wasn't what Chad was dreading. "Her description was a perfect fit of what you gave us when Taylor disappeared."

Chad's heart dropped and he dropped the papers in his hand. "So you think this girl might be Taylor?"

"Her description fits and it might explain her sudden disappearance."

"This can't be happening." Looking up at his captain, Chad asked the question that had been nagging him since the captain walked in with the folder. "Why do you have this?"

"The FBI wants us to help out."

"Why?"

"Because they know you're friends with one of the victims so it might help them in the long run."

"So they want me to help out?"

"More or less, yes."

"What do I have to do?"

"The blonde that I told you about, her name is Sharpay Evans. Her father is the British ambassador in South Africa and he wants her found unharmed. Her brother, Ryan Evans, is on his way here to work with you and the FBI. He was there when she was taken and got a good look at the man who took her. His flight comes in at three. I need you to go pick him up and be his bodyguard. The men apparently want a ransom from Sharpay's abduction so we can't afford something to happen to Ryan."

"Right."

The captain handed Chad another folder. "Here's his flight number and a picture of him. Good luck." Chad nodded and looked through the file, his thoughts focused on finding Taylor more than anything.

**Los Angeles International Airport**

Chad stood in baggage claim with his hands in his pocket. Ryan's flight had gotten in fifteen minutes ago and there was no sign of him.

"Excuse me, sir," came a voice with a strong British accent. Chad turned around and came face to face with a guy about seventeen standing in front of him. "Are you officer Danforth?"

"Yes, yes I am. You are?"

"Ryan Evans," he said holding out his hand. Chad shook his hand and nodded.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Evans."

"Please call me Ryan. I'm not even eighteen yet."

"You mean you're only seventeen?"

"Yeah."

"Jesus Christ. These men are unbelievable."

"Were there any sightings of my sister?"

"Not since four months ago when a girl fitting her description passed through security here." Ryan nodded, disheartened. "Don't worry, Ryan, we'll find her." Ryan gave Chad a small smile before Chad escorted the teenager out of the airport terminal.

**A/N: I know it's short, but I'm trying to limit what I give out.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Look Beneath The Surface**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: I wish_**

**A/N: so here's the chapter I promised you last week. The next update will be soon. I introduced Zeke in this chapter. Still no Troy, but he will be in the next chapter.**

_Chapter 2_

**Santa Clarita, California**

Hugging her knees to her chest, Gabriella buried her face in her arms as tears rolled down her face. Cuts and bruises adorned her body after receiving the beating of a lifetime; her punishment for escaping.

"Gabriella." She lifted her head and looked at the brunette in the doorway. "They want you to clean up. The clients will be here soon."

"I don't think I can do it, Kelsi. I've been doing this for four months. I can't take anymore."

"I know, Gabriella," Kelsi said with her thick Russian accent. "But if you don't, they'll beat you again." Gabriella looked away from the girl, tears falling from her brown eyes. "Please, Gabriella. I don't want to see you get hurt again." Sighing, Gabriella got up from her spot in the corner of the room and hobbled over to Kelsi.

Kelsi led the wounded brunette out of the room and to the nearest bathroom to clean her up. In fifteen minutes, Gabriella was ready for that evening, though most of her bruises could not be covered up.

"Well, most of your cuts couldn't be covered, but we got a good number of them."

"I don't want to do this, Kelsi," Gabriella whispered.

Kelsi kneeled in front of her and took her hand. "None of us do, but we have no choice." Gabriella looked at the floor and Kelsi sighed, leaning up and kissing Gabriella on the forehead. "One day we'll be through with this."

"Yeah, the day we die."

"You two better hurry up," came the voice of one of the other girls. Kelsi stood up and helped Gabriella to her feet.

"We better go change." Gabriella nodded and followed Kelsi to the room they all shared.

**The Hilton Hotel, Los Angeles**

Ryan Evans put his suitcase down by the closet and sat on the queen sized bed. He always wanted to visit America, but he never thought it would be to find his sister. Putting his face in his hands, he thought about his sister and what she might be going through. He wanted her back more than anything. He hadn't been without his twin since, well since birth and that was only for a few seconds.

The sound of a ringing phone brought him out of his thoughts and he reached into his pocket. "Hello?"

"Ryan, it's your father."

"Why, hello father."

"Have you made it to America safely?"

"I have and I have also met officer Danforth who will be helping me in the search."

"Officer? I thought you were to be partnered up with a detective?"

"Apparently, officer Danforth has someone who was also taken like Sharpay."

"Poor boy. How close was she to him?"

"I think she was a close mate of his…maybe even more."

"Well, God bless that you both find them. I must be on my way. I have an important meeting to attend. Cheerio, son."

"Goodbye father." The line went dead and Ryan put his phone back in his pocket. Sighing, he crashed back first onto the bed and closed his eyes. _I'll find you sis, I promise I will._

**Danforth residence, Los Angeles, California**

Chad sat at his desk, going through the files over and over again; trying to memorize the faces of the men who were supposedly suspects. If he were to ever meet one of them on the street, he would be able to recognize them without second thought. He also read through their profiles; past offenses, names of family members, backgrounds. He wanted to know as much as possible about the men who took his best friend.

The sound of his door bell ringing caught his attention and he set the folder on the desk. He hurriedly made his way to the front door and opened it.

"Pizza delivery."

"How much?"

"14.50." Chad took out his wallet and handed the guy a twenty.

"Keep the change."

"Aww sweet. Thanks man." Chad nodded and took the pizza box from the delivery guy.

"Have a nice night."

"You too." Chad closed the door and went into the kitchen. He set the box on the counter and grabbed a paper plate from above his fridge. He set a slice of the pizza pie on the plate before fixing himself a glass of _Coca-Cola _and retreating back to his office.

The second he sat down, his house phone rung and he ran back out to the kitchen to pick it up. "Hello?"

"Chad." His heart dropped when he heard Taylor's mother on the other end.

"Jacquelyn, what's wrong?"

"It's Ted," she said with a sob. "He suffered from a heart attack. He…he's gone."

"W-When's the funeral?"

"Two weeks from Friday."

"I'll see if I can get some time off and come down to see you."

"Thank you, Chad. You always were like a son to me. H-Have you heard anything about Taylor yet?"

"No, not yet, but we're working on it."

"Oh."

"I promise, mom, I'll find her. I couldn't live with myself if I let anything happen to her."

"I know, Chad, I know. You always were fond of her. I just wish she wasn't so into her studies to realize that." Chad smiled sadly, remembering all the times that he had tried to get Taylor to see how much she meant to him. She, of course, was too preoccupied to notice. "I should go. I still have the rest of my family to tell."

"Okay. I'll see you in two weeks."

"Bye, Chad."

"Bye, mom." He hung up the phone and sighed, leaning against the counter. First Taylor's disappearance, now her father's death. This was too much for him. Pushing off the counter, he went back into his office to continue to look over the files.

**Santa Clarita**

Sharpay hated this part. She felt like a doll waiting to be picked up by some child. This feeling, however, was worse. She wasn't a doll and there was no child, instead a sick and twisted man who wanted to have his way with her or one of the other girls. Sharpay silently prayed that she would get passed over. Taylor was lucky. She had been passed over for the past three days, but Sharpay knew it wouldn't be long before someone chose her.

Lifting her brown eyes from the floor, she allowed them to look at the men that were currently choosing the girl they wanted. Her eyes locked with one of them, an African American man who looked as if he didn't want to be there.

"Ooo. I want that one," the other man said pointing to Sharpay. Her eyes widened and she silently cursed God for getting her chosen once again for the third time in a row.

"Can I have her?" the African American male asked, making her believe they were friends.

"Sure, dude. It is your birthday after all, so you get what you want today."

"Thanks," he said with a fake smile before turning his eyes back on Sharpay.

"Come on," said one of the men who worked in the house and pulled her out of the main room and into a smaller one. He pushed her onto the bed and left, leaving her to wait. The door reopened and she looked up, looking into his eyes. She watched as he closed the door behind him and took a seat next to her.

They sat in silence, his eyes on the floor, her eyes on him. "I…" he started "I'm not here to do anything to you," he said and looked up at her.

"Really?"

He nodded. "I just agreed to come because of my friend, but I really don't want to be here. I know what they do here and I'm not a supporter."

"Thank you."

He smiled. "You're welcome."

"So what _do_ you want to do?"

"Talk, I guess. Judging by your accent you're British."

"Yea. I was born and raised in England, but my dad is the Ambassador to South Africa so my life in England was rather short lived."

He nodded. "What's your name?"

"Sharpay. Sharpay Evans," she said and held out her hand.

He smiled and took her hand in his. "Zeke Baylor."

"It's nice to meet you, Zeke."

"Same here, Sharpay." She smiled and kept her eyes locked with his.

Twenty minutes later, a knock came at the door followed by someone saying, "Time's up"

Zeke sighed and stood. "That's my cue to leave."

She stood up after him. "Will you be back?"

"I'm not sure. If I can, I will, but it all depends on money." She nodded and lowered her head. He lifted her chin and made her look at him. "Keep your head up. I'll find some way to get you out of this."

She smiled and, in a quick instant, wrapped her arms around him. He was caught off guard, but quickly recovered, returning the embrace. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure. What is it?"

She stepped back and reached up into her hair, taking the hair clip out and putting it into his hand. "Find my brother for me and tell him I'm still alive and waiting for him."

Zeke nodded. "I'll find him."

She smiled and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Bye." He left the room and she sat back on the bed, wishing she could leave with him.

The second Zeke stepped out of the house with his friend by his side, he took out his cell phone, dialing the number of someone he knew could help him. "Hey, it's me, Zeke…Can you meet me somewhere? There's a favor I want to ask you."


	4. Chapter 3

**Look Beneath The Surface**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

_**Disclaimer: Not mine**_

**A/N: okay, so I haven't gotten a lot of response for the last chapter. If you guys aren't interested in this story, tell me and I'll stop and focus on one of my other's.**

_Chapter 3_

**Santa Clarita**

Opening his car door, the twenty-one year old stared at the house in front of him. His best friend had told him everything about what went on in the house. He also told him about the British girl he had met and befriended. That was what he would guess was the reason as to why his friend wanted him to take a job working in the house. Sighing, he closed the door and walked up to the house. He rang the doorbell and waited for an answer.

"Can I help you?" asked a stout man with a short black beard and partly balding hair.

"Um, yeah I called about the job."

"Ah. So you must be Troy Bolton."

He smiled and nodded. "That would be me."

"Well, come right on in." Troy stepped into the house, glancing around the foyer. "Are you aware of what we do here?"

Troy turned to the man and nodded. "Yeah."

"And you're aware that any mention of this to the police means permanent termination?"

"If I didn't, would I be here?"

The man shook his head and let his eyes sweep over Troy. "No, I guess not."

"So, Mr.…."

"Williams. Vernon Williams"

"Mr. Williams, is there anything else I need to know?"

"There are a few things. You will have to move into this house from this day forward. Everyone who works here, lives here." Troy nodded, understanding he would have to go back to his apartment and grab clothes. "We also have a policy and that is fraternizing with the merchandise is forbidden. The only time you are allowed to talk to them is when you are telling them what to do. Other than that, you are not to say a word to them. You are allowed, however, to have fun with any one of them. I'll even let you choose a favorite."

Troy plastered a fake smile on his face. "Thanks." He had to make this man believe that he wanted to do this. It was all for his best friend and this girl that he had met in here. _Zeke, you owe me big time._

"Follow me. I'll introduce you to the others then I'll show you the girls." The two went up a flight of stairs and down the hallway to the last door. Vernon opened it and about five other men were standing around. "Guys, this is our new recruit, Troy Bolton."

"Hey," they all chorused.

"Hi," Troy said, sending them a short wave.

"Troy that's Benny," Vernon said pointing to a blonde haired man by the window. His finger moved to the guy standing next to Benny, a short man like Vernon but with more hair and no beard. "That's Adam. The guy in the chair is Quincy." The red haired guy nodded. "And then there's Paul." He motioned to a guy in the corner with short brown hair. "And the one next to him is Roger." The long haired blonde nodded and Troy nodded back. "Now that you know the guys, let's go introduce you to the cattle."

Troy followed behind Vernon, a hard glare set on his back. Vernon led him down to the basement and Troy watched as all the girls climbed onto the farthest cots away from them. Troy looked around, his eyes catching sight of another room. "What's in there?"

"The punishment room." Troy looked at Vernon in confusion. "If one of the girls is acting up or has tried to escape we take them in there and beat them."

"Have any of them tried to escape?"

"One. Stupid little bitch. She thought she could get away from us, but we got her before she could. So are you ready to pick one?"

"Huh?"

"The girl I told you you could pick out. You know, the one you can have fun with whenever you want."

"If I pick one, what exactly does that mean?"

"It means that if you have the urge to fuck, you fuck her. If someone else also wants to have some fun with her at the same time, they can't because she's your first pick. It's like saying she's your slave."

Troy nodded and looked around the room. All the girls cowered under his gaze. All except one. His eyes locked with hers and she stared back with much intensity.

"Ah. I see you've chosen the black sheep."

"Why do you call her that?"

"Because she's the one who tried to escape several times. She refuses to be broken, no matter how much we try. But she will be, I can assure you that." Troy kept his gaze on the brown haired girl, feeling a sudden protective urge coming over him.

**FBI Headquarters, Los Angeles**

Chad and Ryan sat in the large conference room, waiting for the agents that were assigned to this case. Both were silent, not sure of what to say.

"Mr. Danforth, Mr. Evans, good to see you," said the man said as he walked in the room. "I'm agent Daniels. I've been briefed on the relation you two have to two of the victims that might be involved in this illegal slave trade. We all know the reason behind Ms. Evans' abduction, but we have no idea why Ms. McKessie would have been taken. Did she call you at any time saying she was in trouble or anything?" he asked Chad.

"Not that I recall." Chad thought back to the days before Taylor's mother had called to tell him she was missing. A memory struck into his mind and he spoke up, "Actually there is something. She called me a few days before I found out she went missing."

_Flashback_

It was another normal Monday morning in Los Angeles. Chad sat at his desk, reading over the morning paper like he did every day when his phone went off. He picked it up without taking his eyes off of the article he was reading.

"L.A.P.D, Officer Danforth speaking."

"C-Chad…" He brought his attention away from the paper and stared at the phone.

"Tay? Tay, what's wrong?"

"Chad…I'm in trouble," she said sounding as if she were crying.

"In trouble? Trouble with what?"

"I can't say…but it's bad. C-Can I come stay with you for a while?"

"Sure, sure. Just hop the first flight to L.A. and call me when you get here so I can come pick you up."

"Thank you, Chad."

"You're welcome. Look I gotta go, but I'll talk to you when you get here, okay?"

"Okay. Bye, Chad."

"Bye, Tay." He hung up the phone and sighed. He hoped Taylor was alright.

_End Flashback_

"That was the last time I ever spoke to her."

"But she never mentioned what she was in trouble for?"

"No. I wish she had. I probably could have helped her with it."

"Did her parents ever mention anything about unpaid debts?"

"They did say something about how they were having trouble paying her school bill, but that's about it."

"That explains it then. She went into an agreement with a loan shark and couldn't pay them back in the end. So what do they do? They kidnap her and make her work it off doing God knows what."

"What, exactly, are the things they make them do?" Ryan asked.

"Different things," Chad answered. "Either hard labor or…sex slaves."

"What?"

"They sell them off like prostitutes. It's disgusting."

"So you mean my sister lost her virginity to some total stranger?"

"Yeah. And these total strangers don't care about whether it hurts or not. They just want a good fuck."

"How are they able to obtain these girls?"

"Some girls are tricked into thinking they could be getting a job opportunity that would help their family. Some girls are bought like mail order brides. Others are kidnapped like your sister was. Then others like Taylor owe debts to them. Then there's the majority who need money for their families or debts their families owe. It's a sick, sick trade but it's out there."

"Seems someone has done their research," agent Daniels said looking at Chad.

"I've been obsessing over it since I found out Taylor might be one of these girls."

"She must mean a lot to you, Mr. Danforth."

Chad nodded. "She does."


	5. Chapter 4

**Look Beneath The Surface**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: not mine_**

_Chapter 4_

**Santa Clarita-Two Weeks Later**

'_Chad, where are you?'_ Taylor thought as she sat in the corner of the basement. Everyone around her was sound asleep. How? She didn't know. She found it unbelievable that the girls could sleep when they knew what awaited them in the morning.

"Not sleeping won't help you in the long run," said a voice out of the darkness.

"Who said that?"

"I did." Taylor squinted in the darkness and could make out the heart shaped face of the girl that had been caught after trying to run away, Gabriella was her name if Taylor remembered correctly.

"I thought you were sleep like everyone else."

"I'm just as restless as you are," she said and sat down next to the darker skinned girl. "I miss my parents and my kapatid, Adan."

"Your what?"

"My kapatid. It's Tagalog for sibling. There's no word for brother in my language."

"What country are you from?"

"The Philippines."

"Oh. Your English is amazing for someone who was raised with a different first language."

"My father taught me. He used to be a school teacher at a well-known business school in the capital, but they thought they needed someone with more experience and they let him go. He wasn't able to find another job after that. Why? I'm not sure."

"That's horrible. Forgive me for asking this, but…how did you end up in a place like this?"

She turned her body away from Taylor and rested her hands in her lap. "My brother got sick and my parents were too poor to pay for his medical bills so they borrowed it from a loan shark. When they couldn't pay him back, he took me instead to pay off their debts."

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. Everyone here is in a similar position to one another. There are of course the few like Sharpay that have been kidnapped in exchange for money or others like Kelsi who was tricked into this life. But the rest of us have a similar back story as to how we ended up here."

The sound of the basement door opening caught their attention and they kept quiet as their eyes drifted towards the stairs. Taylor was surprised to see the new guy standing there, a flashlight in his hands, but Gabriella was not. She knew that he would come. She hadn't seen him down in the basement since the day he started. _"Just like the rest of them,"_ she thought before standing up and walking over to him. She knew what he wanted and he wanted her.

She walked upstairs with him following behind and prepared herself for what she assumed was to come. He ushered her into an empty room and he closed the door behind them.

"Whether you know this or not, I won't beg for mercy. I refuse to break," she said as she sat down on the bed.

He chuckled. "You're a strong one. How old are you?"

"Labing-aanim." He cocked an eyebrow and she sighed. "Sixteen."

"Oh. Well, you're a strong sixteen year old."

"Can we just get this over with?"

"Get what over with?"

"You know what I'm talking about?"

"No, actually I don't." He took a seat beside her on the bed. "See, I'm not like the others. I don't want from you what you _think_ I want from you."

Her face contorted into an expression of bewilderment. "Y-You don't?"

"No. All I want is to talk."

"You just want to talk to me?"

"Yeah. I don't support this. It's wrong and immoral for them to take girls from their families and force them into prostitution."

"Then why are you here?"

"To find someone and keep a watchful eye over her. Do you know a girl by the name of Sharpay Evans?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"She's the girl I need to watch over. A friend of mine met her once when he was here. They did the same thing we're doing; they talked."

"How did they do that without anyone knowing?"

"He never told me all the details, but he wants me to watch over her."

"So why didn't you pick her to be your…whatever they say I am to you?"

"Because I have no idea what she looks like."

"Didn't he tell you?"

"He did, but there are a lot of girls that look alike here. Besides, you looked like you could use someone to watch over you."

"As long as I don't show vulnerability in front of them, I'll be fine."

"And how long will that be? A week? A month? You don't even know how long you'll be stuck here."

"Not long, hopefully, but I've stuck it out for five months, I can stick it out for however long I'm here."

"Well," he said as he stood up, "just know that I'm here if you need to talk to someone."

"How can I talk to you without someone getting suspicious?"

"Easy, I'll do the same thing I did tonight. I'll come down and see if you're awake. If you're awake, I'll take that as a sign that you wanna talk. If you're not, then I'll leave you alone."

She smiled softly. "I guess I got lucky when you picked me, huh?"

He shrugged and smiled. "I guess so. Come on, I'll take you back downstairs." She stood up and followed him back to the basement. She looked around and noticed that Taylor was fast asleep with the others.

Sighing, she turned to him. "I never got your name."

"It's Troy. And yours?"

"Gabriella."

He smiled softly. "Goodnight, Gabriella."

"Night." She turned and began walking towards her cot on the far side of the basement. Troy watched her get settled in before going back upstairs.

-

-

**Canton, Mississippi-A few miles north of Jackson**

Eyes sullen, Chad stared into the rectangular hole in the ground. It was hard to see his best friend's father being lowered into the ground when the said friend was missing.

"Chad?" He turned around and came face to face with Mrs. Jacquelyn McKessie.

"Mom," he said and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay." She wiped away her tears and pulled away slightly to look into his face. "Have you found her yet?"

He sighed and shook his head. "No, not yet, but we're working on it."

"Oh." She looked over to the grave and shook her head. "How are we gonna tell her that her father's gone? She didn't even get a chance to say goodbye."

"I don't know," he said turning his head in the same direction. "I just hope that I'll find her before something else happens." He turned back to the middle age woman in front of him. "I'd rather her come home to one parent than to come home to none."

"That's if she comes home," she said and looked at the man she always thought and hoped would become her son-in-law.

"She _will_ come home, mom, I promise you that. I won't rest until she's safe and sound in your arms."

Jacquelyn smiled and touched his cheek. "She belongs in your arms, not mine. I'll just be grateful for her safe return."

"Mom, you know that Taylor doesn't have any inkling of feelings that are more than friendship."

"She thinks she doesn't, but she can't deny her heart. I bet you wherever she is, she's thinking of you." She kissed his cheek and walked away.

Chad sighed and watched her make her way across the grass to the black limousine that waited for her. "I hope you're right."

-

-

**Los Angeles**

He never realized how lonely his life was without his sister. He never realized how much his sister meant to him. They had been together since birth and now the five months without her was taking a toll on him. With his mind preoccupied, he didn't notice the guy running towards him until they collided and he was knocked backwards.

"Fuck. I'm so sorry." Ryan opened his eyes and watched as an African-American male outstretched his hand. "Here, let me help you up."

"Thank you," he said with his thick British accent setting him apart from the rest.

"You're not from around here, are you?" he asked as he helped Ryan up.

"No, I'm just visiting. I was bored at my hotel room and decided to walk around the city."

"Alone?"

"Well, I had a tour guide, but he had other things to do."

"That's no way to treat a visitor."

"He had a good reason to leave me by myself. Someone he knew died of a heart attack so he left town to attend the funeral."

"I guess that really is a good reason. Well, I guess I could show a little American hospitality and show you around town."

"Thanks, I'd appreciate that."

"I'm Zeke Baylor, by the way," he said and outstretched his hand.

Ryan smiled and shook his hand. "Ryan, Ryan Evans."

Zeke's eyes widened. "Wait, Ryan Evans?" Ryan nodded, confused by Zeke's reaction. "Do you have a sister?"

"I do, but how did you…?"

"Is her name Sharpay?"

"How do you know about my sister?" Zeke went into his pocket and pulled out the hair clip. Ryan gasped before grabbing the twenty-one year old by the collar. "Where is she? What have you done with her?"

"I haven't done anything, but I know where she is."


	6. Chapter 5

**Look Beneath The Surface**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Dislcaimer: I wish_**

**A/N: so...anyone else here about the proposal rumors surrounding Zac and Vanessa? From what I heard, he proposed to her when they were in Japan but won't be getting married until next year. Also, who here has heard of Lesley Roy? If you haven't, look her up, she's amazing. I also want to apologize to penman_scribe for turning you off to the last chapter and thank you for telling me about my mistakes. I acidentally spelled 'tagalog', 'tag-a-long'. My brain was on shut down mode when I wrote it. I've been staring at the word for the past few weeks(not literally) and I seriously don't know why I wrote it the way I did. And I also want to thank (I'm not sure if you're a guy or girl) for telling me the right translation for sixteen. I use one of those dictionary sites and they gave me like two different translations so I actually wasn't sure which one was the right one, but thanks for clearing it up for me. I fixed those mistakes on the last chapter.**

_Chapter 5_

**Santa Clarita**

Ryan looked at the house in front of him then back at the address he held in his hands. This was where Zeke told him he could find his sister. He knew he should have told the FBI about it, but he wanted to make sure his sister was actually where Zeke said she would be. He walked up to the house, pulling his cap further over his eyes and knocked on the door.

"May I help you?" asked the man who answered the door.

"Um, yes," he started, trying to hide his accent. "I was told that you have," He cleared his throat, "_girls_ that you sell."

The guy looked hard at Ryan, before looking around and letting him in. "Do you have money?" Ryan nodded and pulled out a roll of money from his pocket, silently thanking his father for giving him a large amount of money to bring with him. The man smiled and took the money from him. "I'll be right back."Ryan watched as he disappeared through a door and waited for him to come back. He hoped that he would be able to find out if his sister was present in the house. Minutes later the man came back into the room with a line of girls following behind him. "Line up against the wall," he said to the girls. "Take your pick."

Ryan's eyes scanned the women in front of him, but none of them were his sister. Knowing he couldn't just leave without raising suspicion, he focused on a brunette who was staring at the ground.

"Her," he said, pointing to the girl.

The man walked over to her and grabbed her neck. "You're up." The girl looked up, her green eyes looking at the man then at Ryan. She felt herself being pushed forward and Ryan caught her before she could hit the floor. "Take the first room on the right," the man said pointing to the stairs.

Ryan ushered the girl upstairs and into the room assigned. He closed the door behind him and stared at her. She refused to meet his eyes as she stared at the floor.

"You don't have to be afraid of me," he said and she lifted her eyes to his. He smiled slightly and moved closer to her. "Do you have a name?" She nodded but didn't answer. "Can you tell me?"

"Kelsi," she said softly.

"It's nice to meet you, Kelsi. My name's Ryan." She looked away from him, feeling uncomfortable. "Do you happen to know a girl by the name of Sharpay?"

Her eyes returned to him. "Sharpay? Sharpay Evans?"

"Yes. Do you know her?"

Kelsi nodded. "I do, but…what does she mean to you?"

"She's my sister. Why wasn't she on line with you and the others?"

"She is going through that time of the month, so she doesn't have to be picked like the rest of us until it's over."

"But she's okay, right?"

"As much as you can be in a situation like this." He nodded.

They fell silent and Ryan's eyes washed over the girl in front of him. "Are you okay?"

She looked at him and nodded. "I just want to get out of this." She took a seat on the bed and held herself.

"You will, don't worry." He took a seat beside her. "I'm working with the FBI. They'll help you out of this."

"I hope so."

They talked a little while longer and before they knew it, a knock came at the door followed by "Time's up." Ryan stood up and helped her to her feet.

"Tell Sharpay that I love her." He went into his pocket and pulled out a small pendant "Give her this and tell her that she'll be out of this hell sooner than she thinks." He put the pendant in Kelsi's hand and she nodded, her eyes focused on the floor. He took her chin between his fingers and made her look at him. "I'll be back for you, too." She smiled softly before he led her out of the room and back into the hands of her tormentors.

-

-

Sharpay sat against the wall, staring into space. She had never been more grateful for her period then when she had been forced into this life. It gave her almost a week to not have to worry about being picked by some sick pervert.

"Sharpay." She snapped out of her thoughts and smiled at Kelsi who was making her way towards her.

"Hey, Kelsi."

Kelsi took a seat in front of the blonde and pulled out the pendant, putting it in Sharpay's hand. "Here."

"What's this?" she asked as she opened her palm wider to look at the object in her hand.

"Your brother gave it to me." Sharpay's eyes widened as she looked upon her family's crest. "He was here."

"He was?" she asked, turning her eyes to the brunette.

Kelsi nodded. "He asked me where you were and I told him. He told me to tell you that he loves you and you'll be out of this sooner than you think."

"What did he mean by that?"

"He told me he was working for the FBI and that they were helping him get you back."

"That's great. I'll get to go home!" she squealed forgetting where she was.

"Shh! Before someone hears you."

"Sorry. How did he find out I was here?"

"I don't know. I forgot to ask him."

"I can probably answer that question for you." Both looked up to see the new guy standing over them.

"How long have you been standing there?" Sharpay asked.

"Long enough to hear your conversation."

"You're not gonna tell are you?"

Troy shook his head and took a seat on the cot across from them. "No." He looked at Sharpay. "Do you remember Zeke?" She nodded. "Well, he's the reason I'm here and he's probably the reason why your brother was here."

"You mean, he sent you here to look after me?" Troy nodded. "That's so sweet of him."

"Have either of you seen Gabriella?" he asked.

Sharpay and Kelsi looked at each other before shaking their heads. "No," they answered.

"Damn it." He got up and just as he was about to walk up the stairs, Adam came down holding a badly bruised Gabriella. "You found her. I was just looking for her."

"You need to keep track of the merchandise. Especially this one. She tends to run when she has the chance." Adam pulled her closer and put his mouth against her ear. "Next time you try to run, I'll fuck you so hard you won't be able to move." He grabbed her breast between his free hand and she cringed before he thrust her into Troy's arms. Adam went back upstairs and Troy glared at his back the entire time.

He turned his attention on the girl in his arms when the door closed and touched her cheek. "You didn't really try to run this time, did you?"

She shook her head. "No. I was…upstairs for the lineup and when we were told to go back downstairs because the client had chosen Kelsi, he grabbed me and took me into one of the rooms."

"Then why did he say that I should keep track of you?"

"He doesn't trust you."

"He doesn't?" She shook her head. "Why?"

"He thinks, no, he _knows_ that you aren't like the rest of them."

"I hope he doesn't tell the others."

"He won't. He doesn't have enough proof to condemn you." She cringed in pain and he picked her up, carrying her back up the stairs. He went into the nearest room and laid her down on the bed. He closed the door behind them and walked back over to her, sitting down beside her.

"You okay?"

She shook her head. "It hurts."

"I know. But this'll all be over soon, I promise."

"I've been here for four months, I've stopped believing that I'll make it out of this," she said, turning over to her side.

"You will. I'll make sure of it."

Her brown eyes looked up at him, a soft smile reaching her face. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." He leaned down and kissed the side of her head. She yawned. "Tired?" She nodded and closed her eyes. "Sleep, I'll make sure no one knows."

"Thank you, Troy," she responded without opening her eyes. He smiled and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand.

As he watched her drift off to sleep, he could feel his heart beat faster. He was attracted to this girl, there was no denying that, but he had to hide his feelings until he was able to get her out of this hellhole. He couldn't jeopardize her safety. Getting up, he moved to lock the door and went back over to her. He placed himself behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She unconsciously moved closer to him and he smiled. He placed his head in the crook of her neck and listened to her breathing.


	7. Chapter 6

**Look Beneath The Surface**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: nineteen stories and two years later and I still don't own the rights to HSM_**

**A/N: this chapter is dedicated to my beta HSMandChelseafan. She seems to be the only beta I have left. I have no idea what happened to my other two and it worries me. Yeah, I know I said _Learning To Fall_ was my top priority, but sometimes your mind doesn't wanna work that way.**

_Chapter 6_

**L.A.P.D Headquarters, Precinct 14**

Ryan walked into the police station, a smile playing his lips. He had found his sister. Now all he had to do was tell officer Danforth so they could get the FBI to get his sister out of this situation.

"Excuse me," he said to the secretary. "I'm looking for officer Danforth."

"He hasn't gotten back from his vacation."

"He hasn't?" Ryan's face fell as the secretary shook her head.

"No, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. When he returns, can you make sure he contacts Ryan Evans?"

"Of course."

"Thank you." Ryan walked out of the precinct and sighed. He needed to talk to Chad. Another thought crossed his mind and he walked back into the precinct.

"Back so soon Mr. Evans?" the secretary said a smile on her face.

"Yep. Is Captain Foster here?"

"He should be. His office is the one at the very back."

"Thanks." He walked to the back of the building and knocked on the door that had 'Captain Foster' in bold gold lettering.

"Come in." Ryan walked inside and Captain Foster looked at him. "Mr. Evans, what brings you here?"

"I know where my sister is."

"You do? How?"

"I met a guy two days ago and he told me that he met my sister. He gave me the address and I went there yesterday. I asked one of the girls if she knew Sharpay and she said yes."

"Are you certain your sister is there?"

"Positive. The guy who gave me the address gave me my sister's hair clip."

"Are you sure he didn't work for them?"

"If he did, why would he tell me?"

"To throw you off."

"No. That girl knew my sister. Sharpay was in that house."

"Did this girl have a name?"

Ryan nodded. "Kelsi."

Captain Foster's eyes went wide. "Kelsi? Did she have green eyes and brown hair?"

"Yes. She also had a heavy Russian accent."

Captain Foster made his way over to his file cabinet and looked through the file on the human trafficking case. Looking through the missing person's folder, he found the girl that Ryan said he had spoken to.

"Is this her?" he asked, showing Ryan the picture.

"That's her. That's Kelsi."

Walking to the phone, Captain Foster grabbed the phone and dialed a few numbers. "Hello, this is William Foster, captain of the 14th precinct of the L.A.P.D. I'm looking for Agent Simpson." He went silent and Ryan stared at him. "Hello, Agent Simpson this is Captain Foster…yes, boss of officer Danforth. We've found them."

-

-

**Canton, Mississippi**

Chad stared at the wall. He had been staying at the McKessie household for the past two days after the funeral. He knew he had to get back to L.A. soon, but he didn't want to go just yet. Being in Mississippi let him pretend that he wasn't put on a case where he had to find the sick bastards that decided to kidnap innocent girls and force them into prostitution, where he could pretend that Taylor, his best friend and first love, wasn't one of those said girls.

From in his pocket, Chad's cell phone vibrated and he sighed before answering it. "Hello?"

"Danforth, we found her."

Chad's eyes widened. "I'll be on the first flight back to L.A," he said before ending the call.

-

-

**Santa Clarita**

"Bolton, wake up." Troy opened his eyes only to find Vernon standing over him.

"What? What's wrong?"

"We're moving."

"Why?"

"Someone ratted us out."

"How do you know that?"

"We have our sources. Now get up. We have to get the girls out without anyone seeing."

Vernon left and Troy got up, putting his shirt and jeans on. He walked out of the room and went downstairs just as they were moving the girls out of the basement, blindfolds on each of them.

"Get your ass moving!"

"Just beat her, Adam!"

Troy went downstairs, already knowing who it was that was causing trouble. He stopped at the bottom stair just as Adam pushed Gabriella against the wall.

"Adam, let me take care of her," he said walking up to the angry blonde. "You go deal with the others." Adam let go of Gabriella and pressed the blindfold against Troy's chest. He went upstairs to help with the other girls, leaving Troy to 'deal with' her. "You alright?" he asked lowly.

"Yeah. What's going on?"

"They found out someone told the police. That's probably why Adam's being an ass to me."

"He thinks it was you." Troy nodded. "It wasn't, was it?"

"No. I gotta put this on you," he said pointing to the blindfold. She nodded and he got behind her, covering her eyes with the black cloth. He ushered her upstairs slowly and into the van that was waiting for them.

Troy was nervous. He tried not to show it, but he couldn't help it. They were moving to a new location and he knew Zeke would never be able to find them, especially since phones were not allowed. His leg bounced up and down next to Gabriella's. His nerves were getting the best of him. She knew she had to calm him down or he would give himself away. She nudged him gently and he discreetly looked at her. Putting her bound hands between her legs, she wiggled her fingers, telling him to grab her hand, or at least what he could.

He looked around to make sure no one was watching him before slowly lowering his hand underneath her knee and taking one of her hands in his. She clasped his hand between both and smiled softly. His leg stopped moving and didn't move for the rest of the ride.

-

-

**Santa Clarita—a few hours later**

"You sure this is the place?" Chad asked his boss.

"I'm sure of it. This is the address Mr. Evans gave us."

"Let's move in," Agent Simpson said and they all rushed into the empty house. Everyone searched all over the area, but found nothing except remnants of what was once there.

"There's no one here, sir. Looks like we just missed them," another agent said.

"Shit."

Chad stood in the basement a few minutes later watching the FBI agents do their job. He wanted to scream. They had been so close. But it looked like as they took one step forward, the bad guys were always a step ahead of them.

_This isn't over. I'm gonna find you, Tay, no matter what it takes._

-

-

**San Diego**

It had been a long ride until they reached their destination, but Troy had been relieved when they got there. He slowly let go of Gabriella's hand to get out and turned to grab her arm to start the chain of getting the girls out of the van. When all of the girls were situated in different rooms, Troy went to find Gabriella to make sure she was okay.

"Looking for this, Bolton?" Adam asked, holding Gabriella by her neck.

"Yes, actually I was."

"You wouldn't mind if I had a go with her, would you?" Troy opened his mouth to say 'no', but Adam beat him to it. "Thanks. I knew you wouldn't." Adam dragged Gabriella into the nearest room and closed the door.

Troy sighed and leaned against the wall. He had to get Gabriella out of this. It wouldn't be long before she broke and he knew it.


	8. Chapter 7

**Look Beneath The Surface**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: mine? ha. yea right_**

**A/N: okay, how many of you have seen the new Zanessa picture of her as Aurora and him as Prince Phillip? If you haven't, go to my youtube page in my profile and it's my background there. Anyway. I so predicted that. If any of you remember chapter 22 of _Beautiful Disaster_, the Halloween chapter, I had Gabriella dress up as Sleeping Beauty a.k.a Aurora and Troy as Prince Phillip(even though I didn't voice it, it's pretty obvious who he would be). It's creepy, I know. I just realized what I had done when I was rereading it. I think someone in the Disney business read my story and thought that would be a good idea. The only reason why I had Gabriella as Aurora was because besides Jasmine and Belle, Aurora is my favorite princess, even though the villian in that creeps me the hell out.**

_Chapter 7_

**L.A.P.D Headquarters, Precinct 14**

Zeke walked into the police precinct and walked up to the front desk. He wasn't exactly sure why he was there, but he was called by an old friend of his.

"Excuse me, can you tell me where I can find officer Danforth?" he asked the woman behind the desk.

"Yes, he should be in his office at the moment. It's the office on the far left."

"Thank you." Zeke walked past the desk and towards the place he had been directed to. Coming to the office on the far left, he knocked and waited for someone to answer. Seconds later, the door opened and Zeke smiled. "Chad, long time no see."

"Zeke." The two exchanged a one armed hug. "I was wondering when you would get here."

"Speaking of which, why did you call me here?"

"Do you remember a guy named Ryan Evans?"

"Yeah, I told him where his sister was. Did you guys find her and free her?"

"Unfortunately, no. Somehow someone tipped them off and they left before we got there."

"Fuck. I hope Troy's alright."

"Troy?"

"Yeah, a friend of mine I got to infiltrate them. Sadly, I haven't been able to get in touch with him, so I don't know if he's alright or not."

"That's a very dangerous thing to do, Zeke."

"Yeah, I know, I just wanted someone to watch over Sharpay."

Chad smiled. "Zeke, Zeke, Zeke."

"What?"

"You've got a crush on Ms. Evans."

"I do not."

"You do too."

Zeke sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay, so what if I do? She's an amazing girl."

"Just know that once we find her, she's going back to South Africa."

Zeke nodded. "Yeah, I know."

"Good. Well, since you've helped us before, think you might wanna help us again?"

"Just tell me what you want me to do."

-

-

**3 weeks later-San Diego**

Tears spilled down her face as the guy hovering over her pushed in and out of her. Taylor hated this. The only thing she was grateful for was the fact that she wasn't a virgin before she got into this situation. Her fingers grasped the sheet beneath her as she tried to block out everything. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine she wasn't there.

"Open your eyes, bitch," the guy said, slapping her across the face. Taylor's eyes snapped open

and she stared into the male's dark blue eyes. "I want you to look at me while I'm fucking you."

His thrusts became harder and she couldn't hold back the sobs that escaped her lips. He smirked and grabbed her right breast between his fingers. Taylor wanted to die right then and there. Her eyes stared at the ceiling above, asking God to just kill her and put her out of this hell. Finally he came and gripped her waist, slamming inside of her to prolong it.

He pulled out of her minutes later and stood up, pulling his pants back up. "That was fun. I'll be visiting you very often," he said winking at her. He left the room and Taylor rolled over to her side, crying silently. She heard someone walk into the room, but didn't move.

"You alright?" She turned over, finding the gentle crystal blue eyes belonging to Troy staring back at her. She shook her head and a fresh batch of tears spilled from her eyes. "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up." He helped her up and ushered her to the nearest bathroom.

"What are you doing?" Adam asked when he saw Troy carrying Taylor.

"Taking her to get cleaned up for the next client."

"Oh, well when you finish with her, come downstairs. We're having a meeting."

"Gotcha." Troy carried her into the bathroom and started the water for a bath. When it was at the right temperature, he plugged the drain and let it fill up. "You got it from here, right?" he asked her.

"Yeah."

"I'll be back when the meeting's over." He left the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Over the weeks that he's been there, the girls have become like a family to him. He watched over all of them, not just Sharpay and Gabriella. Walking into the living room, he took a seat beside Benny and waited for Vernon to speak.

"Okay, guys. As you know, a few weeks ago we've had someone rat us out to the cops. Luckily we had an inside guy warn us before the cops could get us. Therefore, everyone here will have a certain job. Roger, you are to deal with the clients and only the clients. Quincy, you're in charge of keeping time. You have to make sure all the clients keep to the time frame we give them. Paul, you and Adam are in charge of security, meaning you two make sure none of the girls try to escape again. Benny and Troy, both of you will be in charge of the girls and in charge of getting food for us."

Troy nodded as did Benny beside him.

"What about you?" Adam asked.

"I'm the overseer. I oversee all of you to make sure you're doing your job correctly." The guys nodded. "Okay, this meeting is over. Go back to whatever it is you were doing."

Troy went back upstairs to check on Taylor, bringing clean clothes with him. He knocked on the door before entering, closing it behind him. She was still sitting in the water, eyes empty.

"Tay?" She looked over at him and he sighed. He grabbed the towel from off the rack and held it up. "Let's get you dressed before one of the guys decides to intrude." She nodded and stood up, allowing him to wrap the towel around her. She grabbed it and stepped out. "Put this on." He handed her the clothes and went to unplug the drain.

Taylor dressed quickly while Troy's back was still turned. When he was sure she was dressed, he turned around and smiled slightly at her. She smiled back before wrapping her arms around him.

"Thank you, Troy. If not for you, I doubt I would be able to survive. I think you're the only thing

that keeps us believing that we'll get out of this."

"Glad to be that person. Ready to go back to your room?"

She nodded. "Even though I have to share it with a bunch of other girls, it's better than being in a damp basement."

"True." He opened the door and led her to her room. Upon entering, his eyes caught sight of the petite brunette and she smiled, walking up to him.

"Hey," Gabriella said and he smiled.

"Hey. You alright?"

She nodded. "So far. I haven't been picked today, so I've been spared another day."

"That's good." He touched her cheek. "One of these days, all of you will be free of this, I promise."

She smiled and hugged him. "Someone's coming," one of the other girls said and Gabriella let him go. He gave her one last smile before walking out the room and running into Quincy.

"Checking up on the girls?" he asked and Troy nodded.

"Yeah. Making sure they're all there. I just need to go into the other room and check on the others. In need of relief?" he asked, already knowing why he was there.

"Yep. I'm in the mood for a red head."

Troy nodded, a fake smile on his face. "There's no red head in this room, but I'm pretty sure there's one in the next."

"Then I'll follow you there." Troy and Quincy walked to the next room and opened the door. Quincy looked around and spotted a red head, Troy had come to know as Georgette. She was from France. Her green eyes looked at him and he sent her a sad smile as she was led out of the room.

He leaned against the door frame and ran a hand through his hair. He pushed off and went back to the other room, spotting Gabriella sitting by the barred up window. He walked up to her and touched her shoulder. She looked up and smiled at him. He motioned for her to follow and she got up, following him to a different room.

She sat down on the bed and watched as he locked the door. "How long do you think we'll be able to keep this up?" she asked as he walked over to her.

"As long as we can. Right now, I'm the only person that can help you girls out." He sat down next to her and she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Troy."

"Hm?"

"There's…there's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" he asked looking at her.

She looked up at him, biting her lip. "Nevermind."

"What?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing." She moved towards the pillow and laid down.

"It had to have been something," he said moving to lay behind her.

"It's not important."

"Will you tell me one day?" She nodded and he smiled. "Good."

**A/N: I know I've been ending with Troy and Gabriella a lot, but can you blame me? I'm wondering where all my reviewers have gone. I only got 8 reviews for the last chapter. First my betas now my reviewers. What is going on? Anyway, from now on until the last few chapters, I'm going to be focusing on life in the house. I hope to have chapter 8 out by my birthday on Saturday.**


	9. Chapter 8

**Look Beneath The Surface**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: not mine_**

**A/N: This is the longest written chapter so far. I must warn you about the first part of this chapter. Troy is basically forced to do something to Gabriella. If you don't want to read it, skip to the middle part of the chapter.**

_Chapter 8_

The sound of the doorknob jiggling awoke Gabriella from her sleep. Her brown eyes flew open and she nearly panicked when she felt the arm around her waist. Turning, she sighed in relief finding Troy behind her, sleeping soundly. The jiggling doorknob reminded her of their current situation and she shook Troy gently.

"Troy. Troy, wake up."

He groaned and opened his eyes. "What? What's wrong?"

"Someone's trying to get in the door," she whispered.

He sat up and listened to the voices coming from the other side of the door. "Fuck." He ran a hand through his hair and tried to think of something. "Um. Okay, I know this is going to make you uncomfortable, but I need you to remove your clothes."

"What?"

"It's only to make them think we did something."

"I can't," she said looking down.

"You have to. It's only until I can make them believe I did something to you." He touched her cheek softly. "Do you trust me?"

Her eyes shifted to his and nodded, a single tear sliding down her face. "Yes."

"Then do this one thing for me. Okay?"

"Okay." She reached for the hem of the shirt she was wearing, but didn't raise it. "Could you turn around please?"

"Sure." He turned his head and she undressed. A knock, more like a pound, came at the door and Troy turned slightly to see if she was finished.

"What should I do next?"

"Just lay down," he said, trying not to let the sight of her naked affect him. He stood up and unbuckled his pants before walking over to the door. "Do you guys mind?" he asked when he opened it.

"We were just checking to see what you were doing," Adam said with Roger standing beside him.

"What does it look like?" He motioned to the naked brunette lying down on the bed, her eyes facing the opposite direction.

"Mind if we join?" Roger said, his eyes sweeping over her naked form.

"I…"

"Of course you don't," Adam said, cutting Troy off from what he wanted to say. Adam pushed his way in with Roger following behind.

Troy looked over at Gabriella, her eyes now facing him, fear laced within them. "I do mind, actually."

"Aww, come on Troy. We all share here. Why not share a piece of this lovely body with us?" Adam licked his lips as he pulled Gabriella to her feet. Roger ran a hand along her ass and she whimpered, looking over at Troy.

As much as he wanted to intervene, he didn't know what to do. If he stopped them, then they would get suspicious. In Adam's case, even more suspicious. He watched, horror stricken, as Adam's hand slid between her thighs. His eyes flew to hers and he could tell she was trying not to cry.

"Adam can I go first?" Roger asked.

Adam's green eyes glanced over at Troy's stoic form, a mischievous smirk on his face. "I think since Bolton over here was complaining about being interrupted, he should go first."

Troy's blue eyes widened, but he quickly hid his shock. Seconds later, Gabriella was thrown into his arms. He caught her with ease and looked down at her, her brown eyes pleading with him.

"Go ahead, Troy. We'll wait."

He knew Adam was testing his loyalty to this operation and Troy knew if he didn't participate with this, they would know he wasn't one of them. But if he did this, there would be no doubt that it would break Gabriella completely. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before coming to his decision. Opening his blue eyes, he stared at the brunette emotionless and dragged her over to the bed. Throwing her onto the soft surface, he stripped himself of his shirt and pants; boxers included. She watched him, fear and betrayal shining brightly in her brown eyes. He moved to hover over her, catching her waist when she tried to run.

He leaned down, putting his mouth near her ear and whispered, "I'm sorry," before sliding himself inside of her. It was then that she broke and tears spilled out of her eyes. She couldn't believe that the guy she trusted the most was doing this to her.

"Come on, Troy, give it to her hard," Roger said.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he whispered as he pounded into her.

After he had done his part, Troy put his pants back on and moved to the corner of the room. He sat there, emotionless, as Roger and Adam continuously raped her. When they finished, the two men left, leaving Troy alone with a broken Gabriella. She laid with her back to him, staring blankly at the wall. Sighing, he walked over to her and sat down beside her.

"Gabriella…" He touched her shoulder and she flinched away. "Gabriella, I'm sorry."

"Why did you let them do that to me?" she asked. "W-Why did _you_ do that to me?"

"What else was I supposed to do? If they find out I won't think twice to rat them out, they'll kill me. Then how would I be able to help the others…to help you?"

She slowly turned on her back and looked at him, her brown eyes showing no life. It broke his heart seeing her like this. "W-Would they really?"

He nodded and touched her cheek, grateful that she didn't flinch this time. "I really am sorry for what I did to you."

"It's okay. I just…I need to rest."

"You want me to take you back to the other room?"

"Yes, please," she said softly, trying not to cry. She stood up and he waited for her to dress. His eyes never left the floor. "Troy." His head snapped up and she stood there, completely clothed, her bottom lip between her teeth.

He stood up and went to the door. He held it open for her, unsure if she wanted him to touch her or not. She walked out of the room and he followed behind, walking to the room where the others were.

"I really hope that you can forgive me completely one day."

"Troy, I said it was okay."

"I know, but…I also know that you're going to need some time before you can trust me again." She looked down, knowing he was right. Hesitantly, he reached his hand up and placed it under her chin, making her look at him. "Just remember I'm here for you, alright?" She nodded. He smiled and kissed her forehead. She flinched slightly, but smiled anyway. "Night, Gabriella."

"Goodnight, Troy." She walked inside the room and he went back to his.

-

-

"I want that one, the blond at the end." Sharpay's head snapped up and her eyes widened. She watched as the client walked up to her and took her arm. "Come on blondie, we're gonna have a good time."

Sharpay reluctantly followed him to an empty room and watched as he closed the door before he threw her on the bed. She crawled up to the headboard and pulled her knees against her chest. He smirked and slowly crawled towards her.

"Don't worry," he said, touching her cheek. "I won't bite." He grabbed her by the neck and pushed her onto the bed. "Much."

He pried her arms away from her body and pinned them above her. Sharpay closed her brown eyes and tried to think of a happier time and place, but she wasn't an expert at blocking out things. The second she felt his hand on her chest, her eyes flew open and a sob escaped her lips. He grinned and pressed his lips against her neck.

She wanted to be anywhere, but there. She wanted to be back home. She missed shopping with her mother, planning gala's with her father, and hang with her brother. She couldn't do this anymore. Gathering all the strength she could, she pushed the man off of her and moved away.

"Where do you think you're going?" He grabbed her leg and pulled her back. Turning around, she curled her hand into a fist and connected it with the man's nose. "Bitch!" he yelled as his hand held his nose.

She pushed him away with her foot and got off the bed. She tried to get to the door, but he beat her there. "Move," she said.

"Or what?"

She didn't know what she would do, but she had to think of something fast. He moved towards her and she did a swift kick to his groin. He fell forward and she pushed him out the way of the door. Opening it, she looked around before walking out and closing it behind her. As she moved down the hallway, she heard the door she had just exited open and she began to run. From another doorway, a hand shot out and pulled her into the room. Before she had a chance to scream, a hand covered her mouth and muffled any sound from her lips.

"It's okay, Sharpay, it's just me." Looking up, she looked into Troy's blue eyes and sighed. He removed his hand and let her go. "You alright?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."

"No problem, but you're not out of the water yet. You and I both know you're not gonna be let off easy for what you did."

"How did you know?"

"I was walking past and I heard the commotion."

"Where is that little slut?!"

Sharpay froze and stared at the closed door. Troy touched her shoulder and she looked at him. "I have to take you out there."

"I know."

"You ready?" She shook her head and he hugged her. "Soon you'll be out of this."

"I wish it was now."

She took a deep breath before allowing Troy to lead her back into the hallway. "Is this who you're looking for?" he asked the five men that were standing there. "I found her trying to escape."

"Good job, Troy," Vernon said. He walked up to Sharpay and grabbed her arm, forcefully. "You know what defiance means, bitch." Troy inwardly cringed, but let Sharpay's arm slip from his grasp.

He watched as Vernon and the other men led Sharpay down the hallway. She turned her head back to Troy and he could see the fear in her eyes. He didn't know how much more of this he could take.

**A/N: last chapter I gave you some Troy and Taylor bonding, almost every chapter I give you Troy and Gabriella bonding, this chapter I gave you Troy and Sharpay bonding, and next chapter I'll give you Troy and Kelsi bonding (For you Stephany). Twenty one reviews by Saturday and I'll give you chapter nine. It's already typed up and everything.**


	10. Chapter 9

**Look Beneath The Surface**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: I wish._**

**A/N: It's a bit on the short side. I think I have maybe five more chapters, six at the most. I wanted twenty-one reviews from the last chapter, but since I'm updating everything else, except _Just One Bite_, I might as well update this.**

_Chapter 9_

**1 Week Later**

She wanted to go home. She wanted to see her family again. Kelsi sat against the barred window and stared out at the outside world, the world she hadn't stepped foot in, in months. Sighing, she closed her eyes and imagined herself back in Russia.

Troy walked into the room, searching for Gabriella. Not spotting her, he saw Kelsi and walked up to her. "Kelsi." She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Have you seen Gabriella?"

"She was picked today." Kelsi could see his face fall slightly and she smiled inwardly. She knew he loved Gabriella. Just by the way his eyes lit up when he was around her.

"Oh."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"I have an idea on how to get one of you out of here and get help."

"Really?" She turned him, her full attention on him. "How?"

"It's better if we _don't_ discuss it. Who knows who could be listening." She nodded.

"Can I be the one? Please."

"Sure."

"So what do I have to do?"

"Okay. Next Wednesday, I have to go out to get food for the house. I want you to meet me in the closet by the door. You're gonna have to sneak there the night before since I have to go early before the clients show up. I'll tell you the rest afterwards."

"So that's all I have to do?"

"For now, yeah."

"Will you come and remind me the night before?" she asked. "I tend to forget things."

He smiled. "Of course."

At that moment, Gabriella came stumbling in and Troy quickly stood, hoping that no one saw him talking to Kelsi. Luckily, she came in alone and slumped against the wall. Troy excused himself from Kelsi's side and walked over to Gabriella.

"Are you alright?" he asked. She gazed up at him, nodding slightly. "Gabriella?" She tried to move, but only stumbled forward. "Fuck." He grabbed her and picked her up. "Kelsi, follow me." She nodded and followed him out of the room. He brought Gabriella and Kelsi into his room and locked the door behind them. He set Gabriella on the bed and began pacing around.

Kelsi sat down next to the sixteen year old and felt her forehead. "She has a fever."

"What?" He walked over to them and put his hand on her forehead. "How did she get that?"

"Probably from one of those assholes."

"Shit. Shit. Shit." He ran a hand through his hair and tried to think of something. "I have to tell the others."

"Why?"

"Cause maybe I could get them to let me take care of her."

"What about when you have to leave to get food next week?"

"I'll get one of the girls to watch her when I have to work."

"I'll do it."

"No, I already need you for one thing. I'll have to tell the other guys about having someone watch her when I'm working, so if you go missing, it'll be obvious."

Kelsi nodded. "Get Sharpay or Taylor."

"I'll probably get Taylor to watch her." He walked over to the door and unlocked it.

"Where are you going?"

"To tell the others that she's sick." He opened it and turned to her. "I suggest you not be here when I get back." She nodded and he left.

-

-

Vernon touched Gabriella's forehead and sighed. "She's burning up."

"I told the clients to make sure they weren't sick when they were fucking one of the girls," Roger said. Troy stood back, watching the scene before him. His eyes were trained on Gabriella's sweat-soaked face.

"Is it fine if I watch over her until she gets better?" Troy asked, his eyes moving to the group of guys standing over the brunette. Adam and Benny had smirks on their face and Troy resisted rolling his eyes at their perverted thoughts.

"It's fine, but what happens when you work?" Vernon asked.

"If it's possible, one of the girls could watch over her."

"Fine, but it doesn't excuse the picked girl from being used."

"Of course not." Vernon nodded and walked out of the room. The others followed behind minus Adam who was now walking up to Gabriella. Troy was seriously getting pissed off by him.

He watched as Adam touched her forehead before letting his hand trail down until it came in contact with her clothed chest. His blood boiled when he saw Adam squeeze her breast and he just wanted to rip his head off. Adam moved away and grinned at Troy before leaving the room. Striding over to the door, Troy closed it and locked it.

"I thought they would never leave," he mumbled to himself. Suddenly, Gabriella began to whimper and he walked over to her. "Gabriella," he whispered as he touched her cheek. Her brown eyes opened slightly and looked into his.

"Troy," she whispered.

"It's okay. Everything's okay." He kicked off his shoes and climbed into bed beside her. He held her close and felt her shiver in his arms. She was sicker than he thought. If she didn't break this in a few days, she would have to go to hospital or she would die.

"Troy…I'm cold."

"You are?" She nodded and he pulled the cover further up her body before pulling her closer. "Better?"

"A little." He kissed her forehead and buried his face in her hair.

He loved her. He was sure of it. He hadn't wanted to believe it because of the fact that she's only sixteen, but as his mother used to tell him, you can't choose who you fall in love with. He had fallen in love with this girl that was miles away from home. But he knew once this was over, she would go back home and he would probably never see her again. Looking down at her face, he stroked away the wet hair from it and she looked up, her brown orbs connecting with his blue ones.

"Troy."

"Hm?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Everything."

He grinned. "You're welcome." She smiled and buried her face in his chest.

-

-

"I'm telling you, he's not like us," Adam said to Vernon.

"And how do you know this?"

"You should have seen the way he looked at me when I touched her."

"He's possessive. Aren't we all?"

"Not like he is. Sure we have certain girls that we want to ourselves, but I'm telling you, Bolton isn't like us."

"Until you have better proof of that, stop bringing it up. So far Bolton has been an excellent employee. He can deal with the girls better than you ever could."

"And how did you think he made that possible? He's befriended them, I know it."

"Adam, Adam, Adam. Stop being paranoid. Now leave, before you piss me off."

Adam sighed and left. "I'll find some way to expose Bolton for the fake he is."


	11. Chapter 10

**Look Beneath The Surface**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: none, nada, no_**

**A/N: I don't remember if I said this or not before, but this story has maybe five or six more chapters to go, depending on how I feel. I'm currently working on chapter 23 of _Love Song Requiem_ so for all you fans, watch out for it. I haven't been really active in terms of my stories because I've recently started a youtube series so if you have a youtube account go check it out and yes, it is a Troyella story ;)**

_Chapter 10_

Taylor followed Troy to his room and gasped when she saw Gabriella under the covers, shivering like a mad woman. She quickly ran to her side and touched her hand to her friend's head.

"Holy shit," she cursed, recoiling her hand. "She's burning up."

"I know. I've tried to find a way to bring her temperature down, but I can't."

"She has to see a doctor."

"There's no way they'll let her."

"They have to. She'll die."

"Like they care. She's replaceable merchandise to them, not a fucking human being," he hissed.

"You love her, don't you?"

His eyes looked over at Gabriella, making sure she was fast asleep before nodding. "Yeah, I do."

"Bout time you admitted it."

"But you and I both know it will never happen. She's still a minor."

Taylor nodded sadly. "They'll send her back to her country if we ever get out of this."

"You will. I have a plan."

"I hope it's a good one."

"It is. I just can't tell you what it is."

"Understandable."

"So do you think you can watch her while I do what's needed of me?"

"Sure."

"Thanks, Tay." She nodded and he walked out of the room.

Taylor turned back to Gabriella and brushed pieces of her hair out of her face. Gabriella began moving around more before her eyes snapped open.

"Troy?"

"It's okay, Gabriella. I'm here." Gabriella's brown eyes turned to Taylor's and she sighed.

"Taylor. What are you doing here?"

"Troy told me to take care of you."

"I'm thirsty." Taylor nodded and reached for the bottle of water on the night stand.

"Here." She handed Gabriella the bottle and watched the petite brunette drink it down.

"Why do I feel cold and hot at the same time?"

"Because you have a fever. Your body temperature is fluctuating."

"Oh. When's Troy coming back?"

Taylor smirked. "Missing your boyfriend?"

Gabriella blushed, though it was hard to tell with her entire face red from the fever. "He's not my boyfriend."

"But you want him to be."

She looked away from Taylor, knowing she was right. "I do, but…there's no way he likes me back. I mean, he's twenty-one and I'm just a sixteen year old."

"You would so fit in with American teenagers."

Gabriella smiled slightly, but it fell when the other reason as to why it would never work entered her mind. "Besides, even if he did like me, there would be no way we would be able to keep a relationship in this situation. It's bad enough he has to pretend like he's one of them. It would hurt him even more if he had to watch me get used over and over again."

"Gabriella, maybe you should let him know how you feel."

"I can't. Why would he want me anyway? I'm a sixteen year old girl who's forced to screw any and every guy that comes through that door." She shivered and held the cover closer to her body.

Taylor sighed and knew that this conversation was going nowhere. She watched as Gabriella's eyes slid close and she slipped into a deep sleep.

-

-

Sharpay sat in the corner of the room, staring off into space. Ever since her punishment a week before, she hadn't been able to break out of her daze. She had been chosen over and over again and each time she just laid there as the men did what they wanted. She was too broken to care.

"Sharpay?" Kelsi waved a hand in front of the blonde's face. "Sharpay, are you alright?"

"I want…to _die_."

Kelsi sighed and sat down beside her. "It's gonna be okay," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around the blonde. "Troy's got a plan. You'll be out of this in no time."

"I wanna be out of this now," she said, returning the embrace Kelsi was giving her. She broke down. She couldn't take it anymore. "I wanna go home," she cried.

"I know you do. I do too."

"Girls, time to line up!" Sharpay's grip on Kelsi increased.

"I don't wanna go," she said.

"We have to. Maybe you won't get picked today."

Sharpay nodded and stood up with Kelsi by her side. The two followed the others to the living room and lined up. Kelsi glanced at Sharpay, worried that she might break down again.

"The brunette by the blonde." Kelsi looked over at the client who was smiling at her. Roger walked over and took her by the neck.

"This one?" he asked.

"Yep."

Kelsi was led to an empty room and thrown on the bed. Roger left and the client came in seconds later, his green eyes washing over Kelsi's body. He closed the door behind him and walked over to her. She never broke eye contact with him. That was the only thing that kept her from breaking down. If she made eye contact, then she wouldn't feel like she was being taken advantage of. It was her own way of blocking out the truth.

"I'm gonna give it to you good," he said before pushing her down into a lying position.

Kelsi lied still as he did what he wanted. She pushed all feelings to the back of her mind and stared at the ceiling. It wasn't until he flipped her onto her stomach that she began to panic. She looked behind her the best way she could and he smirked.

"Has anyone ever done this to you before?" She shook her head, vigorously. "Good," was all he said before she felt him enter her from behind.

_Now I really feel like a bitch_. She didn't want to cry, but she couldn't help it. She closed her eyes and prayed to God that this would be over soon.

Minutes later, he pulled out and she could hear him putting his pants back on. She didn't move, shock was still flowing through her. When she heard the door close, she got up and dressed before one of the guys could walk in and take advantage of her. The door reopened just as she was finished putting her shirt back on and in walked Benny.

"Let's go, bitch," he said, grabbing her arm. He took her back to the room and threw her to the floor, leaving the room.

"Kelsi." She looked up and saw Sharpay run over to her side. "Are you okay?"

Kelsi nodded and sat up. "Has Troy come by yet?"

"No, not yet. He should be soon."

Just as Sharpay finished her sentence, Troy walked through the door. Both girls looked to him and he smiled sadly. He walked over to Kelsi and knelt beside her.

"You alright?"

"Yeah. Just had my dignity hurt, that's all."

"What happened?" Sharpay asked.

"For the first time, I was treated like an actual bitch."

"What do you mean?"

"The guy pushed me onto my stomach and…" She couldn't continue. The memory was just too much for her.

Without second thought, Troy gathered Kelsi in his arms and held her. "It's okay." She didn't have to continue for him to know what she meant.

Sharpay stood back, silently watching her good friend cry into brunette male's shirt. Troy looked up at the blonde and noticed the distant look in her eyes. He reached out for her and pulled her against him. This entire situation was destroying them slowly but surely. These girls, who he'd come to know and care for, were emotionally dying from the inside out. He suddenly thought about the brunette lying ill in his room and he knew he had to get these girls out and fast.


	12. Chapter 11

**Look Beneath The Surface**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer:..._**

**A/N: I used two Tagalog words in this chapter and I hope I got them right.**

_Chapter 11_

Tuesday quickly approached and Troy prepared himself to get Kelsi out of the house. All the while, Gabriella had slowly been getting better, but she wasn't fully healed just yet. He could only hope that she would only get better instead of worse. As he moved around his room, Gabriella watched from her place on the bed.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing, I'm just little nervous."

"Everything's gonna go fine." He looked at her and nodded slightly. He told her about his plans on sneaking Kelsi out of the house, figuring he needed someone else to talk to about it. "Halina(Come). Maupo Ka(Sit **roughly translated**)." He walked over to the bed and sat down. Over the past few days, she had been teaching him Tagalog and he had slowly been learning. She sat up and moved closer to him. "I know you're nervous, but if you doubt yourself then something will go wrong."

"I can't help it. I just…I feel like something's gonna go wrong."

Sighing, she leaned her head against his back and the two sat in silence. "When do you have to go get Kelsi?"

He looked at his watch. "In a few minutes." She nodded and leaned off of him, going to lay back down. Troy turned his head and watched as she laid her head on the pillow. "Tired?"

"Yeah." He stood up and bent down, kissing her temple. "I'll be back in a few."

He left the room and quickly, but quietly, made his way to the girls' room. Peaking his head through the door, he spotted Kelsi by the window and made his presence known. She turned around and quickly walked up to him.

"You know where to go, right?" She nodded. "Good. Now go. I'll keep look out." She left the room, taking in her surroundings, and bolted to the closet by the front door. Troy followed behind, making sure no one was around to see her.

When he was sure no one was around, he walked up to the closet and peered inside. "Tomorrow morning I have to go get food for the house. I'll come get you and tell you to go wait in the backseat of the car, sit on the floor and sit as close as you can to the door closest to the house. You got all that?" She nodded. "Okay, then, I'll see you in the morning." He closed the door and headed back to his room. Upon entering, he spotted Gabriella sitting up in the bed, staring at the far wall. "Hey," he said and she looked at him. "Are you okay?"

She wanted to say 'yes', but her head wouldn't let her. "No."

"You wanna tell me?" He sat down next to her and she nodded. "What's wrong?"

"Troy…there's something that I have to, no _need_ to tell you before it's too late."

"Okay. What's that?"

"I…" She looked away, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

"Gabriella?" He took her chin and turned her face towards his. "What is it?"

She looked into his eyes and knew she had to tell him. "I love you." She dropped her eyes. "I know that you probably don't feel the same, but I just…needed to tell you before…" Without a word, Troy placed his lips on hers, cutting her off. Minutes later he pulled away and looked at her reaction. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked into his. "Wha…?"

"I do feel the same."

"You mean…?"

He nodded. "I love you, too, Gabriella."

"But…but how? I mean…_why_?"

Troy shrugged. "Because I just do. My mother always told me that you can't choose who you fall in love with. I fell in love with you."

Gabriella smiled, but it quickly faded. "Will we ever be able to be together?"

Sighing, Troy pulled her into his arms. "It all depends." She snuggled into his chest and closed her eyes. He smiled and looked down at her. "Sleep. You need it."

"Night, Troy."

"Night."

-

-

The next morning, Troy showered and dressed, his mind never ceasing to create scenarios in which his plan didn't work. It made him even more nervous. He didn't want this to fail. It needed to work, for his sake, for Kelsi's sake, for Taylor, Sharpay and all the other girls' and, most importantly, for Gabriella's. Leaning against the dresser at the foot off the bed, Troy watched the petite brunette sleep soundly. He didn't want to leave her alone, not with Adam lurking around, but he had no other choice. This was his one chance to get help and he wasn't going to pass it up. Walking up to her sleeping form, he kissed her temple and moved her hair out of her face.

"I'll be back," he whispered and left the room.

He walked to the front closet and opened it slightly. From the shadows of the coats, Kelsi peered back at him and he opened the front door, motioning her to go. He unlocked the car with the alarm trigger and she quickly ran to it, swiftly jumping into the back seat and closing the door.

"Where are you going?" Troy turned around and faced Quincy.

"Store. Today's my day to get food."

"This early?"

"Might as well get it over with."

Quincy smiled and nodded. "I know how you feel. I used to be on food duty and I hated it. Dealing with all those people shopping is not fun."

"That's why I wanna go early before they all get there."

"Alright. Can you do me a favor and pick me up some Barbeque chips. Any brand."

"Will do." Troy grabbed his jacket, though he knew he didn't really need it and closed the closet door. He left the house and went to the car. Climbing into the driver's seat, he started it up and drove away, making sure he was a few blocks away before telling Kelsi to get up front.

"Where are we going?"

"First, we're going to get you something to wear. Then I'm taking you to the train station and putting you on a train to L.A."

"What am I gonna do when I get there?"

"I'll tell you when we get to the train station."

Kelsi nodded and the rest of the ride was spent in silence. When they reached the first clothing store, Troy told Kelsi to stay in the car and stay hidden. He went in to get her a pair of sweats and came back out minutes later. He handed her the bag and told her to get dressed.

"Here?"

"Yes. I promise I won't look."

"You better not." She quickly dressed and Troy kept his word by not looking. They arrived at the train station minutes later and got out. He went up to the ticket booth and brought a one way ticket to Los Angeles. He ushered Kelsi to the platform and waited until the train arrived.

"When you get to L.A., I want you to go to this address," he said, handing her a piece of paper. "His name is Zeke. Just tell him that I sent you and that you need him to take you to the police. Okay?"

She nodded. "Will you be alright?"

"I'll be fine. I have the others to worry about, so I can't let anything get in the way."

"Take care of her for a little while longer."

Troy smiled and nodded. "I will." He knew exactly who she was talking about. Pulling her into a hug, he reassured her that everything would be okay. "You be careful. Not everyone's as nice as I am."

Kelsi nodded before turning to get on the train. Troy waited until he saw her take a seat inside and waved at her. She waved back and the train began leaving the station. Troy watched the train until he couldn't see it anymore and went back to the car.

After a few hours of shopping, he went back to the house and brought the groceries in to the kitchen. Quincy came in as he was putting stuff away and watched.

"Did you get my chips?"

"Yep." Troy grabbed the bag of barbeque chips and tossed it to Quincy.

"Thanks."

"So anything happen while I was gone?"

"Yeah. Your chick tried to run again."

Troy froze and turned to the red-haired man. "What?"

"Yeah, while you were gone, she tried to make a break for it."

"How? She's sick."

"Not anymore. If she had enough energy to try and escape, then she's not sick anymore."

"Where is she?"

"Vernon and Adam are punishing her in one of the empty rooms upstairs. I was about to go up if you wanna go with me."

"Sure."

Troy followed Quincy upstairs, his stomach turning in nervousness and anticipation. He didn't know what he was going to find, but what he did made his heart stop. There, before him, was the love of his life on the floor crying in pain. She looked up and her eyes locked with his. His heart broke all over again as he stared into her lifeless brown orbs.

"Bolton, you're back." Troy lifted his attention from Gabriella to Adam who stood smugly over her. "Your bitch, here, tried to run," he said and kicked Gabriella in her side. She screamed out in pain and Troy had to resist looking at her.

"I'll deal with her now," Troy said without breaking a sweat.

"Nah, I think I'll take her."

"She's mine," Troy growled.

"No, she was yours, but then you gave her the opportunity to run."

"I wasn't here. There was no way I could have stopped her."

"And so you lost your free pass to her."

"Vernon," Troy said, turning to the balding man standing by the door. "Tell him to hand her over to me."

"Sorry, Troy, but you've lost your chances with her," Vernon said, his eyes never leaving the girl writhing in pain on the floor.

Troy looked back at Gabriella and continued to watch Adam beat her with no way of stopping him. He knew something bad was going to happen, but he didn't know it would be this.


	13. Chapter 12

**Look Beneath The Surface**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: I didn't own it when I started and I don't own it now_**

_Chapter 12_

**Los Angeles Union Station-Hours later**

Kelsi stepped off of the train and did her best to follow the signs to the exit. She spoke English well, but reading it was a different story. She eventually made her way outside and looked for a way to get to the address Troy had given her.

"Miss, you need a ride somewhere?" asked a man in a yellow car.

Kelsi looked at the words written on the side; T-A-X-I. "Are you…a taxi?" she asked, her Russian accent returning in her nervousness.

"Yeah."

Kelsi nodded and climbed into the car. "I need to go to this address," she said, handing the man the paper Troy gave her. The man looked at the paper and nodded before driving off. When he pulled up to an apartment building minutes later, he turned around.

"Here we are."

"How much?" she asked, fiddling with the money she found folded up in the paper.

"Sixteen."

She handed him a twenty dollar bill. "Keep it." She hopped out and walked up to the building. Looking at the paper, she tried to figure out which apartment she needed to ring the bell for. She looked at the directory and found a familiar word: Baylor. She looked back at the paper and found it to be his last name. Pressing the buzzer, she waited for someone to answer.

"Who?"

"Is this Zeke?"

"Yeah."

"I need your help."

"I think you have the wrong Zeke."

"No, please, you're the only one who can help me."

"Listen Miss, I swear there's nothing I can do to…"

"Troy sent me."

She didn't receive a response, instead she heard the door buzz. Figuring he let her in, she went through the door and saw a dark skinned man standing in the doorway at the end of the hall. He motioned her over and she walked up to him. He let her in and closed the door behind them.

"How did you find me?" he asked.

"I told you, Troy sent me. He gave me your address."

"But why?"

"So you can help me and the others."

"Others?"

Kelsi nodded. "Me and the other girls."

"You mean you're one of the girls that are held against your will?" She nodded again. "How did you get here?"

"Troy was able to sneak me out of the house and he put me on a train here to find you."

"What city were you in before you came here?"

"I…don't know. I never asked. But I think my train ticket might have it." She pulled the ticket from her pocket and handed it to him.

"San Diego," he mumbled before reaching for his phone.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling a friend of mine who might be able to help you more than I can." She watched as he dialed a number, speaking seconds later to whoever it was on the other end. "Chad, I have someone here that might be able to help you find Taylor."

**San Diego**

Why did she run? Why did she try to escape when she knew he was trying to get her out of there? Walking into the dark room Adam had left her in after beating her, he spotted her form sprawled out on the floor. He closed her door and blindly made his way over to her, sitting beside her. He ran a hand through her hair and she awoke, jerking away in a panic.

"It's okay, Gabriella, it's just me."

She looked at him and sighed in relief. She moved closer to him and leaned her head in his lap. He went back to running his hand through her hair, silence enveloping them.

"Why did you try to run?"

"I didn't."

"Then why did they say you did?"

"Adam said I did and told everyone else that I did, but I didn't."

"Then what happened?"

"After you left, Adam came into your room and dragged me out by my hair. He threw me onto the floor and started yelling. When the others came, he said that he caught me trying to run."

"That bastard."

"How was getting Kelsi out?"

"It went smooth."

She smiled slightly. "I told you nothing would go wrong."

"Something did go wrong." She looked up at him and he looked down at her. "I lost my only way of keeping you safe."

"Troy." She sat up and reached out for his face, stroking his cheek. "I'll be fine. The only thing we need to worry about is keeping your true intentions a secret."

He sighed and pulled her closer, kissing her softly. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

She leaned her head on his shoulder and he pulled her into his lap. Wrapping his arms protectively around her, he rubbed circles on her hip bone, soothing her. He silently prayed that Kelsi had found her way to Zeke. She was their only hope now.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, looking up at him.

"About Kelsi and if she found my friend or not."

"That's where you sent her?"

He nodded. "Yeah. He's the only one I trust and could help her."

"How much longer do you think it'll be before they find us?" she asked, intertwining her fingers with his.

"Hopefully not much longer," he responded and squeezed her hand. "Can you hold out until then?"

She smiled. "For you? Of course." He smiled back and kissed her, neither noticing the door opening until the light came on.

"Well, well, look what we have here." Both turned their heads, terrified that they had just been caught. Adam stood in the doorway, a smug grin his face. Vernon stood beside him, looking enraged.

"Adam grab the girl."

"With pleasure." He walked over to the couple on the floor and grabbed Gabriella, pulling her away from Troy.

"Leave her alone," Troy said, not bothering to keep up appearances. They already knew. What was the point? "I said, 'leave her alone.'" Troy lunged at Adam and pushed him against the wall.

"Benny! Paul!" Two guys rushed in and pulled Troy away from Adam. Troy, however, never stopped struggling. Vernon walked up to him and punched him in the stomach, knocking the air out of him.

"Troy!" Gabriella yelled and tried to get to him, but Adam held her back.

"No you don't," he said, tightening his grip on her arms. "See, Vernon, I told you he wasn't one of us, but you didn't believe me."

"Sorry for not believing you," Vernon said before pulling out a 9 millimeter semi-automatic pistol from his waistband and pointing it at Troy.

"No! Please, don't!" Gabriella screamed as she struggled to get free.

"Hey, Vern, I got an idea."

"What's that?"

"How about we torture him _before_ killing him?"

"And what could we possibly torture him with?"

Adam smirked and rubbed his face against Gabriella's neck. Troy growled and attempted to break free from his bonds. Vernon grinned and put his gun away.

"Alright. Let's torture him."

**A/N: I can't believe some of you actually thought she ran :(**


	14. Chapter 13

**Look Beneath The Surface**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer:..._**

**A/N: With the one year anniversary of when I first started this story coming up, I do plan on finishing it by then.**

_Chapter 13_

**Los Angeles-Zeke's apartment**

She wasn't sure when she fell asleep, but when she awoke, she was in a strange room. Sitting up quickly, she glanced around the unfamiliar room before deciding that she had indeed escaped the house. Getting up, she walked out of the bedroom and into the front rooms.

"Good, you're awake." She turned her head towards the kitchen and saw Zeke standing there, cooking something. "I hope you're hungry cause I made breakfast."

She nodded and sat at the table. "You don't have to do this."

"I can't just not let you eat. When's the last time you got something that actually filled you up?"

"Not in a long time."

"Exactly. So feeding you would be the best thing for me to do." He set a plate of food in front of her. "Dig in."

"Thank you," she said before she began to eat. "What exactly is going to happen now?"

"Well, first I'm going to find you clean clothes and then we're going to go meet the police officer I was telling you about last night."

Kelsi nodded and tried to remember details about last night. She remembered arriving in Los Angeles and catching a cab to Zeke's address. She also remembered him telling her he knew someone who worked for the Los Angeles Police Department. She couldn't remember his name, but she remembered that Zeke told her the officer wanted them to come to the station.

Finishing the food on her plate without another word, she looked at him. "Where am I gonna get clean clothes from?"

"My sister used to stay here a lot. She left some of her clothing. You might be her size." He walked into his room and came back minutes later with clean clothes and underwear. "The bathroom is right down the hall. I'll get you a towel."

She nodded and stood up, grabbing the clean clothes and headed to the bathroom. "Um, Zeke?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you turn the shower on for me?"

"Sure." He walked in and started the water for her, giving her a towel at the same time.

"Thanks." He nodded and walked out, closing the door behind him.

Minutes later, Kelsi came out fully clothed and walked into the living room where Zeke sat waiting for her. He looked up and smiled.

"Ready?"

She nodded and they left his apartment. Fifteen minutes later, they were standing outside of the 14th police precinct. Zeke led her inside and walked up to the woman behind the desk.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for officer Danforth."

"He's in Captain Foster's office. It's at the far back."

"Thank you." He put his hand on the small of Kelsi's back and she flinched. "I'm not gonna do anything."

"I know, it's just a reaction. Sorry."

"It's okay." He led her to the office and knocked on the closed door.

When it opened seconds later, the older man looked at Zeke then at Kelsi. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah. We're looking for officer Danforth."

"Zeke?" Chad appeared behind the older man and Zeke smiled. "I was wondering when you were gonna get here." His eyes landed on Kelsi. "Is this the girl?"

"Yeah. Chad, this is Kelsi. Kelsi, this is my friend Chad Danforth."

"It's nice to meet you," she said and he nodded.

"Danforth, what's the meaning of this?" Captain Foster asked.

"Kelsi?" Her head spun at the sound of a familiar voice and standing behind her was the blonde haired man she had met a few weeks ago.

"Ryan!" She ran up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"How did you get out?" he asked, pulling away slightly.

"I escaped with a little help."

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" Captain Foster asked.

"Captain, this girl is one of the girls that was part of the human trafficking ring we almost caught a few weeks ago," Chad explained.

"She's the one from Russia. The one you showed me when I first told you I had found them," Ryan said, still holding onto Kelsi.

He thought for a few seconds before a light bulb went off in his head. "You say her name is Kelsi?" They all nodded. "Kelsi Nielsen is your name?" She nodded. "Well, the Russian police force in Moscow is going to be delighted to know you're alive."

"Captain, she knows where the others are," Chad said.

"Yes, and you must help them. I'm not sure how much longer Troy can hold out," Kelsi said.

"Troy? Who's Troy?" the Captain asked.

"He's a friend of mine," Zeke said. "I convinced him to work for them to keep Sharpay safe, but I guess he ended up protecting all of them."

"That wasn't a wise thing to do. What if he's caught? Then what?"

"If he's caught," Kelsi started, afraid to continue. "If he's caught, then…they'll kill him."

Everyone went into shock and she buried her face into Ryan's shoulder. She didn't want to think about what would happen to the guy that had become like an older brother to her if they found out the truth. She just wanted to get them all out of there before it was too late.

**San Diego**

He couldn't see, he couldn't speak, he couldn't do anything but feel the pain that shot through his body as a foot made contact with his ribs.

"Tama na!"(Stop it!) Gabriella cried as she watched from the corner of the room as Vernon kicked him. "Maawa na kayo, huwag nyo siyang saktan."(Please, stop hurting him.)

"Speak English, you stupid bitch," Adam said and slapped her.

Troy watched helplessly, wishing he could kill Adam with his bare hands. Gabriella slowly looked at Adam, hate shining through her brown eyes.

"Ahas."(**from what I'm told this means 'snake', but is used the way we use 'bastard' in English**)

Adam smirked before grabbing her chin. "Maybe once we kill your lover boy here, I'll let you have a good time." He ran his other hand over the front of her body.

She spit in his face and he backed up slightly. "Huwag nyo ako hawakan." (Don't touch me.)

He wiped the spit from his face and grabbed her by the hair. "You are getting on my last nerves." She cringed in pain and clawed at his hands.

Troy growled and lunged at Vernon, knocking him to the floor. He wasn't sure where the surge of strength came from, but he didn't hesitate to use it to rip Adam away from her.

"Keep your hands off of her," he said and threw him to the floor.

"Troy, watch out!" Gabriella yelled, but it was too late. Vernon hit Troy over the back of the head and he went crashing to the ground. "Troy!" She crawled over to his unconscious body and tried to wake him. "Troy, get up. Please, get up."

"Move, girl." Vernon said and pulled her away.

"What are we gonna do about him?" Adam said, motioning to Troy's unconscious body.

"Leave him. We'll kill him tomorrow."

"And her?"

Vernon grinned and pulled Gabriella to her feet. "She'll have a front row seat."

Gabriella's face paled. They were going to kill him right in front of her. He threw her to the ground and she looked up at him.

"I'll let you spend his last night with him. Then, you get to be witness to his death." Vernon and Adam left the room. Gabriella looked over at Troy's unconscious form before crawling over to him.

"Troy," she whispered, putting his head in her lap. "Please, Troy, wake up."

"G-Gabriella?" She looked down at him, his blue eyes staring back at her.

"Oh, God," she cried and he touched her cheek.

"Don't cry."

"How can I not? They're gonna kill you." He groaned as he began to sit up. "Troy, don't, you'll hurt yourself."

"I'm fine." He crawled over to the wall and leaned against it, sighing in relief when the pain subsided.

"You're not fine."

"Okay, yes, it hurts, but I'll live."

"Not for long," she whispered looking away from him.

"Gabriella." She turned back to him and he motioned her over. She crawled up to him and he took her face in his hands before kissing her softly. "Everything will be okay."

"No, it won't," she said, tears falling from her eyes. He kissed them away and pulled her closer. "I don't wanna lose you."

"You won't. I promise you won't."

"You can't promise that."

"Just trust me, Gabriella."

She looked up at him and he dragged a finger down her cheek, reaching her chin and grabbing it gently. He placed his lips on his and put every ounce of love he had for her into it.

He pulled away moments later and rubbed his nose against hers. "I love you," he said before kissing her again.


	15. Chapter 14

**Look Beneath The Surface**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: please, how could I possibly?_**

**A/N: okay, so unlike my final chapter of _Keeping Us A Secret_, which has been sitting in my document manager for over a week until today, this has not been checked by my beta because she has gone away for her 18th birthday(Happy Belated HSMandChelseafan and I hope you had a great time) and probably won't be back until tomorrow, but I wanted to get this out to you. So hopefully there aren't any grammatical mistakes. For all of you who feel uncomfortable reading sex scenes, well there is one in this chapter. It's not long, but I'll make it obvious where it starts and ends so you can easily skip over it if you want. Gabriella starts off with an innocent feel to her when it comes to the action, but she doesn't exactly end that way.**

_Chapter 14_

**A few miles outside of Los Angeles**

Kelsi leant against the car window, staring at the passing scenery. They had to hurry. She didn't know how much longer Troy could keep it up. Gabriella was sick and he was worried. It wouldn't be long before someone found out. A sickening feeling crept up her stomach and she knew something was wrong.

"Ryan," she whispered to the guy sitting next to her. He looked at her, worried by the look on her face. "Something's wrong."

"How do you know?"

"I don't…but I can feel it. Something's happened."

"We're almost there."

"We have to hurry."

In another black SUV, Zeke was picking up the same vibes. Something was wrong and he knew it. He couldn't lose his best friend, he just couldn't. They'd been friends since elementary school. Losing him would be like losing a brother.

"How much further do we have?" he asked Chad who was situated in the passenger seat.

"'Bout a half an hour. Why? Getting impatient?"

"No, I just…I have this really bad feeling that's something's wrong."

"Does it have to do with the girls?"

"No. It has to do with Troy. We have to go faster. I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to him."

"We'll get there as fast as we can," Agent Simpson said from the driver's seat. "The faster we get there, the faster we can put those scumbags behind bars."

Zeke nodded and sat back in his seat. He looked out the window, wishing and praying that they would get there before something bad happened.

Twenty minutes later, the parade of black cars drove through the suburb of San Diego until they were told by Kelsi where to stop. As they filed out of the cars, a loud gunshot was heard and Kelsi's heart began to pound.

"No. Oh, no. Please, God, don't let it be," she prayed as FBI agents in bullet proof vests began storming the house.

**Half an hour before**

Troy held Gabriella's sleeping form close to him as the seconds ticked on. It wouldn't be long before Vernon and Adam would come back through that door and end his life. He wasn't afraid of dying so much as he was afraid of leaving her behind. If Kelsi wasn't successful in seeking out Zeke, then the second Vernon pulled that trigger, Gabriella would be alone again. He touched her cheek and her brown eyes flew open.

"Hey," he said softly.

She smiled lazily. "Hi."

"How are you feeling?"

"Good. What about you?"

"Okay, I guess. Scared, but okay."

Confusion spread across her face. "Scared of what?"

He traced a finger from her hairline to her jaw. "Leaving you behind."

"Troy…" she said softly before he leant down and covered her lips with his.

"I love you," he whispered as he brushed his nose against hers.

"I love you, too."

He cupped her cheek and kissed her forehead. He didn't have much time left with her and she knew he was trying to savor every moment they had.

"Troy."

"Hm?"

"There's something I want to ask you."

"What's that?"

She bit her lip and racked her mind for the right words to use for the question she wanted to ask. "I just…you'll probably be the only guy I would ever willingly give myself to…"

"That's not true. You'll find someone else."

"Even if I do, they would never have my heart and I want to share this with the person who has my heart. That will only and always be you. So…" She didn't continue with her sentence. Instead, she took the hand that was on her cheek and moved it to her thigh.

He looked at his hand and looked into her eyes. "Gabriella…I-I want to, but…I just can't."

"Why? A-Am I not good enough?"

"Of course you are."

"Then why?"

"Because this is not how I imagined our first real time together."

"But right now might be the last time we have. Troy, please."

He stared into her eyes and sighed. He crashed his lips into hers and moved her onto the floor. He hovered over her and played with the torn up dress she was wearing. She hesitantly wrapped her arms around his neck. She was unsure of herself and he could tell.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know what I should be doing."

"Just do what comes natural."

**She** nodded and he kissed her. Letting her instincts take over, she ran a hand through his hair and the other down his chest. A low moan escaped his throat when she put her hand under his shirt and touched the rock hard abs that lied beneath. Pushing up the dress, he outlined the skimpy underwear that they made her wear and pulled on it slightly.

Her hand ran over the top of his jeans before dipping to cup him, a blush creeping on her face when she felt his bulge. She pulled away and looked in between them. He followed her eye line and chuckled.

"You act like you've never seen that before."

She looked up at him and shook her head. "I haven't. I always had my eyes closed when I was being used."

His face softened and he reached up, pushing her hair out of her face. "Even that day I was forced to." She nodded. "I'm still sorry about that."

She smiled and touched his cheek. "It's okay. I've told you that a hundred times and I think what we're doing now is enough to tell you that I've forgiven you and that I trust you, more than anyone."

He searched her eyes before kissing her. In that moment, he never wanted anyone more than he wanted her. He pushed her dress up and slid it off of her, revealing her unclothed breasts to his eyes. Looking at her half-naked body, he praised how beautiful she really was. He ran his hand from the base of her neck, down the valley between her breasts and down to her flat stomach. He moved his hand back up, this time running it over her breasts, causing a moan to come from her mouth.

He grinned and placed a kiss just above her heart. He planted butterfly kisses down to her breast, latching his lips onto her nipple. She moaned and ran her hands through his hair. He leant up and kissed her lips, slipping his tongue into her mouth. As their tongues danced, she dragged her hand down to his jeans and undid the restraints. She pushed his jeans down and began playing with the elastic of his boxers. She pulled away from the kiss and looked down.

"What's wrong?"

She bit her lip and looked up at him. "Can I…can I see it?"

"You mean…?" She nodded. He pushed down his boxers, setting free his hardened member and a deep blush appeared on her face. He chuckled and she looked up. "You're cute when you blush," he said before kissing her.

He slid his hand down to her panties and moved underneath the fabric. She gasped when she felt him push his finger into her, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. She bit her lip as he pumped his finger in and out of her. Not able to hold it anymore, he pulled his finger out and snatched her underwear off of her. He positioned himself and looked into her eyes.

"Ready?"

She nodded. "I trust you."

He smiled and pushed himself into her. She took a sharp intake of breath, not really expecting him.

"You okay?" She nodded. "Do you want me to keep going?" She nodded again and he pulled out before pushing back in.

It wasn't long before she started enjoying it. After her experience for the past five months, she never thought she would enjoy sex, but she loved Troy and she trusted him with everything. Threading her hand through his hair, she gripped a section of his auburn locks and moaned. Her other hand grabbed his shoulder and buried her blunt nails into his skin.

"Fuck. Gabriella…" She grinned, loving the sound of her name on his lips.

He couldn't hold it anymore, but he didn't want to orgasm without her. Feeling her walls clamping down on him, he knew she was ready and he let himself go, letting his seed spill into her. He kissed her before pulling out of her and moving away.

"Troy," she breathed as she watched him put his pants back on. He looked at her, his manhood jumping back to life when his eyes swept over her naked and sweaty body. **But** he knew a second time wasn't an option at the moment.

"Get dressed, Gabriella. I don't want them to come in here with you still looking the way you do."

She nodded and slipped her panties and dress back on. He moved to the other side of the room and she crawled over to him, pulling herself into his lap. He kissed her forehead and held her. It wasn't long before that, that Adam and Vernon walked into the room, pulling Gabriella away from Troy.

"Get up," Vernon said before hitting Troy in the face.

"Pabayaan nyo siya!(Leave him alone!)" Gabriella cried, receiving a hit in the stomach by Adam.

"What did I tell you about speaking English?" he asked before his eyes caught sight of something on the other side of the room. "Well, what do we have here?"

Vernon turned around and looked at the spot of seamen and vaginal juice on the floor. "Looks like someone's been busy," he said to Troy before pulling out his gun and aiming it at him. "Good thing you fucked her before you died, cause I know she's going to be a lot of fun afterwards."

"Keep your hands off of her," Troy growled.

"You're in no position to be threatening me."

Gabriella couldn't stand by and watch the love of her life die. With one burst of courage, she kicked Adam in the shin and pushed him to the floor, getting Vernon's attention. Troy took that as a chance to get the gun away from him. But Vernon wasn't caught off guard very easily and got the upper hand of the situation, throwing Troy to the floor. He aimed and cocked his gun before pulling the trigger.

"No!" Gabriella cried before sinking to the floor. "No. God, please no." She crawled to him and carefully touched the wound in his shoulder. "Troy," she said, touching his cheek. His eyes slowly opened and looked at her. "Troy, you have to stay with me."

"I-I love you." His eyes closed and his body went limp.

"Troy," she cried before her vision became blurry. She was panicking. Her heart was racing and her breathing was shallow. Seconds later she passed out just as the door to the room flew open.

**A/N: next chapter the aftermath**


	16. Chapter 15

**Look Beneath The Surface**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: no, I don't_**

**A/N: okay, I received a review on _Keeping Us A Secret_, an anonymous review sadly, about something I wrote** **"My love for you is like the sun; burning brightly and eternally. I'll never stop loving you even after my heart stops beating. I was made for you and only you." The reviewer asked me if I made this up and yes, I did. So I'm hoping the person who asked me reads this story. Sorry about the, as _Some Other Kimi_ put it, 'mean cliffy.' lol**

_Chapter 15_

**San Diego General Hospital**

Taylor wasn't worried about herself as much as she was for the girl she had come to know as a sister and the man she had come to revere as a brother. She had watched the paramedics carry Gabriella out followed by Troy who had a gunshot wound in his shoulder. She hoped and prayed that he lived. If he didn't, she knew Gabriella would be distraught, they all would be. He had done so much to make sure they didn't give up hope of escaping. He didn't deserve to die. Chad walked into the room Taylor was assigned and she looked at him.

"Any word about how Troy's doing?" she asked.

"He's stable. They lost him in the ambulance, but were able to revive him." Taylor nodded and Chad took a seat on the edge of her bed. "What can you tell me about the relationship between them?"

"There's not much to tell. They were brought together in the worst of circumstances and fell in love."

"Do you know if their relationship is…physical?"

"If it is, they don't show it. I mean, they've kissed a few times before, but there hasn't been anything else." She didn't want Chad to know about what Troy had been forced to do. She'd rather that die with time. "Why do you ask?"

"Upon inspection of the room Gabriella was found in with Troy and two of their captors, we found what appeared to be seamen mixed with vaginal fluids. We know that the vaginal fluids belong to Gabriella, but we believe the seamen is Troy's."

"So you're saying that they…?" Chad nodded. "It wasn't forced though. He would never force her to do something she didn't want to do."

"Even so, he could still face statutory rape charges because she is a minor."

"He can't go to jail, Chad, he just can't. He's done so much for us. He helped us, he helped me."

Sighing, Chad brushed her cheek and kissed her forehead. "I'll see what strings I can pull to prevent it from happening."

She smiled. "Thanks, Chad."

He nodded. "You're welcome, Tay." He got up and went towards the door.

"Chad?" He stopped and turned around. "How are my parents?"

He sighed. "Your mom's fine, I just saw her a few weeks ago."

"And my dad?"

"He…he died."

Taylor's heart stopped. "W-When?"

"About two months ago. He had a heart attack. They tried to save him, but it was too late."

"And I never even got to say goodbye," she said as she began to cry.

Chad crossed the room, stopping at her bedside, and wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay, Taylor. It's okay." She wrapped her arms around his waist and continued to cry into his shirt.

-

-

Gabriella awoke with a start and looked around the room she was in. She was alone, she knew that, but she wasn't exactly sure where. She was disoriented. Finally, a nurse walked in and smiled at her.

"Good to see you awake."

"Where am I?"

"San Diego General Hospital. You fainted, but we wanted to take precautions just in case. You were a lot better off than the guy with the gunshot wound."

"Troy," she said, her heart speeding up. "Where is he? Is he okay?"

"Calm down. Mr. Bolton is just fine and is resting in the room next door."

"Can I see him?"

"Of course."

Gabriella stood up and followed the nurse out into the hallway. They walked to the next room and she opened the door, allowing Gabriella to walk in first. She wanted to cry. Seeing him lying there motionless was overwhelming.

"I'll let you have some time alone with him," the nurse said before walking to the door.

"Thank you." She smiled and closed the door. Gabriella swallowed the lump in her throat and walked up to Troy's bedside. She ran her fingertips over his face and watched as a smile made its way to his lips. "Troy?"

He reached up with his good arm and took her hand in his before his eyes fluttered open, revealing his bright blue eyes to her. "Hi," he whispered.

"Oh, Troy." She wrapped her arms around him.

"Ow, ow, ow."

"Oops," she said, pulling back. "I'm sorry."

He chuckled lightly and shook his head. "It's okay." He looked into her mocha eyes and brushed his fingers against her cheek. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"Neither did I." She leaned in and kissed his forehead. He cupped her cheek and brought her lips to his. He moved over and allowed her to slip in beside him. "What's gonna happen now?"

"You're gonna go home…and you're gonna forget about all that happened here. You're gonna go on with your life like nothing happened."

"But I can't. If I go home, that means I have to leave you."

"If that's what you have to do, then that's what you have to do."

She sat up and looked at him. "I can't leave you."

"It's better this way, Gabriella."

She shook her head. "No, it's not. You mean everything to me. I can't just go home and forget you. I won't.

He sighed and pulled her back down. He didn't want her to forget him either, knowing he wouldn't be able to forget her.

-

-

Sharpay stared at the ceiling, tears in her eyes. Zeke sat on one side of her and Ryan on the other with Kelsi sitting in his lap. They were all worried about both Gabriella and Troy, though one of the four didn't know Troy and two of the four didn't know Gabriella.

Chad walked in and they all turned to him, eyes asking for answers.

"Don't worry, they're both okay. The nurse just told me that Troy's awake and Gabriella's with him at the current moment."

"Oh, thank God," Sharpay breathed.

"How's Taylor?" Kelsi asked.

"She's fine. She's resting now."

"I heard about the whole thing with Troy and Gabriella," Zeke said. "Are they really going to press charges?"

"They have no choice. He knew what he was doing."

"What are you talking about?" Kelsi asked.

"Turns out the two of them had sex just before he was shot," Chad answered.

"So now he's going to be charged for statutory rape," Zeke finished.

"They can't," Sharpay said. "He can't go to jail for that. They love each other."

"It doesn't matter. She's a minor and it's illegal to participate in sexual intercourse with a minor."

"You can't let them take him to jail," Kelsi said. "It'll break Gabriella's heart."

"I've been trying to see what I can do, but there's no guarantee of whether or not I can get him out of it," Chad said. "Anyway, how are all of you?"

"Good," Sharpay said. "Tired, but good." The others nodded, agreeing with Sharpay.

"That's good. Well, Kelsi, we better get going."

"Going?" Ryan asked. "Going where?" He looked at the girl in his lap with questioning eyes.

"I'm going home today."

"So soon?'

"Yeah. We promised the Russian government we'd have her home as soon as possible," Chad said.

"May I come with you guys to the airport?"

"Sure."

"It's okay with you, right Shar?"

"Of course," Sharpay said with a nod of her head.

Kelsi stood up and he walked over to his sister, kissing her forehead. "I'll be back later."

Ryan walked back to Kelsi and took her hand, lacing their fingers together. Sharpay smiled softly at the gesture between her brother and her new best friend.

"Oh, Ry, don't forget to give her our number," Sharpay said before they walked out the door. "I wanna make sure we stay in touch."

"I will, Shar, don't worry."

She smiled and nodded, watching as Chad, Ryan and Kelsi left the hospital room, leaving Zeke and Sharpay alone together. Zeke took Sharpay's hand and kissed the back of it.

"Will everything be okay now?" she asked him.

"Who knows. All we can do is hope that the future will be better."

She smiled and intertwined her fingers with his. She was going to miss him when she had to return home.

**San Diego International Airport**

"Flight 1689 to Moscow now boarding."

Kelsi turned to Chad and smiled. "Thanks for everything."

"You're welcome."

She then turned to Ryan and wrapped her arms around him. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too. I gave you our number so don't forget to call."

She smiled. "I won't."

He kissed her forehead and hugged her once more before letting her go. He watched as she walked towards the gate, handing her boarding pass to the employee. She turned around just as she was about to walk down the terminal and smiled, waving at Ryan and Chad. They both waved back and she continued on her journey to the plane.

-

-

"This is it," Taylor said as the seven of them stood in the middle of the airport.

"I'm not ready to say goodbye yet," Sharpay said and Zeke squeezed her hand.

"No one is," he said and she smiled softly.

"I better get going," Taylor said. "My flight leaves in a few minutes."

Chad nodded and looked at Troy and Zeke. "I'll meet you two at our gate later." They both nodded and the group of seven split up into two groups of two and a group of three.

"I can't believe I didn't get to say goodbye to Kelsi," Taylor said as she and Chad walked towards her gate.

"I gave her your number so it's alright."

She smiled at him. "Thanks for not giving up on finding me."

"How could I give up? I promised your parents I would find you and I made it my priority. Besides, I couldn't lose you. You mean too much to me."

She took his hand and he looked at her. "I'm sorry that I've been oblivious to how you feel about me. Truth is, I feel the same way, I just…I always saw you as a good friend and it kind of scared me that I thought of you that way."

"I'm just glad you finally came to accept it."

She smiled and leant up to kiss him softly. "You will come visit right?"

"Of course. I have to check up on your mom to see how she's doing."

She hugged him and her flight was called over the intercom. "I'll call you when I get home."

"You better." She giggled and waved before walking away.

-

-

Sharpay stared at the gate with tears in her eyes. She didn't want to leave yet.

"You're gonna have to get on that plane," Zeke said from beside her and she looked at him.

"But I don't want to."

"I know, but you have to. You need to be reunited with your parents. Besides, Ryan's an emotional wreck right now and he needs you to help him." Sharpay's brown eyes trailed over to her brother who stood on line. He had been silent since Kelsi left the night before and she hated seeing him this way. "He needs you just as much as you need him. You've been without each other for months. It's time for some sibling bonding time."

She looked at Zeke and smiled. "You're the greatest, you know that right?"

"I've been told."

She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm gonna miss you."

"So will I, but I gave Ryan my number so you can call me any time you want."

"Even if we're in different time zones?"

"Even if it's three in the morning for me. If you need me, I'll be here."

"Shar!" Ryan called and she looked at him.

"I guess I have to get going."

Zeke nodded before putting a finger on her chin and making her look at him. "Don't forget me, okay?"

She smiled. "How can I ever?" He smiled before kissing her forehead and letting her go. He waited until she boarded the plane with Ryan by her side before he went to his own gate.

-

-

She didn't want to let him go. She wouldn't. She refused to. He knew she was struggling with the fact that after she got on that plane, they would never see each other again.

"I don't wanna go," she mumbled into his shirt.

Sighing, he pulled her closer with his good arm and rubbed circles on her back. "I know you don't, but you have to."

"It's not fair."

"Nothing ever is."

She looked up at him, her eyes glistening with tears. "Mahal kita."

He looked at her with confusion. "I, uh, don't think you've taught that to me."

She giggled. "It means…I love you."

He smiled. "Mahal kita." She smiled and he kissed her. "You should go. Your plane's boarding."

"I don't wanna leave you." He kissed her forehead and cupped her cheek.

"You'll be okay. Once you're back home with your family, you'll forget all about me."

"No, I won't. I could never."

"Is that a promise?" She nodded and he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small ring.

"Troy…" she said, looking at the ring. "It's beautiful."

"And it's yours." He slipped the ring onto her finger and laced his with hers.

"Promise you'll come visit some day."

He smiled and nodded. "I promise."

She leant up and captured her lips with his. She never wanted the moment to end, but she had to go home. "Mahal kita."

He smiled. "I love you, too, Gabriella."

She smiled and walked towards the gate. He watched as she gave her boarding pass to the woman standing at the entrance and walked down the terminal.

-

-

"So what's gonna happen when I get back to L.A.?" Troy asked as he, Zeke and Chad stood in line to board their plane.

"Nothing. Well, except community service."

"How did you get them to drop the charges?" Zeke asked.

"I didn't actually. I told the FBI agents what happened and the relationship between Troy and Gabriella and they decided to forget it happened."

"Wow. I should thank them. Maybe send them a fruit basket," Troy said with a laugh.

"Yeah, so what are you gonna do now that she's gone back home?"

"No idea. I can't move on, that's for sure."

"I know how you feel, buddy," Zeke said. "I couldn't move on knowing Sharpay's out there."

"I'm glad Taylor lives in this country so I don't have to be like you two," Chad said.

"Oh, shut up," Zeke said with a smile. "So when are you two getting married?"

"Married? I haven't even proposed to her yet."

"Well, you better hurry it up."

"I don't see you getting engaged any time soon."

Troy grinned as the two guys began to bicker but his mind was still on the Filipina that left his life just thirty minutes ago.

**A/N: There will be an epilogue.**


	17. Epilogue

**Look Beneath The Surface**

_by: LunarEclipse360_

**_Disclaimer: I didn't own this when I started and I don't own it now_**

**A/N: it's been a year since I started this story and now it's finally done. This is the longest chapter, being eight pages long. I hope this story has opened your eyes to what goes on in the world around you. People think slavery is dead, but it's not. It's still around, lurking in the shadows. There is a movie that addresses this issue further, but I can't quite remember the name of it. I want thank Megan(Megaton) for giving me the idea to start this story. I also wanna thank weirdreader and krfan for helping me with the Tagalog translations for this chapter and the past two. And finally I want to thank all of you, my readers and reviewers. So, now, here it is, the epilogue.**

_Epilogue_

**Two Years Later**

**Johannesburg International Airport**

Ryan bounced on the balls of his feet as he awaited the girl he hadn't seen in two years. He looked once more at the arrivals board, scanning for the 9:40 flight from Moscow. It had arrived almost ten minutes early, but he still saw no sign of the brunette.

"Ryan!"

His head swiveled and his grayish-blue eyes caught sight of her. "Kelsi!"

He watched as she ran towards him before meeting her halfway. She dropped her bags and flung her arms around his neck. "Oh, I missed you," she said, hugging him tightly.

"I missed you, too," he whispered into her ear.

Pulling back, she looked around for the blonde haired girl she swore would have been there. "Where's Sharpay?"

"Didn't she tell you?" Kelsi shook her head. "She's studying in the states. She wants to be closer to Zeke."

"Aww. How sweet?"

"So shall we go?" She nodded and he went to pick up the bags she dropped. He escorted her outside to the parking lot and to his car.

"No car service?" she asked.

"No. My father suggested it, but I didn't want to," he answered as he put her suitcases in the trunk.

"Wanted to be alone with me?" she asked jokingly.

He looked up and with a serious face, answered, "Yeah."

Her smile dropped and she stared at him before taking two steps over to him. She took his face in her hands and crushed her lips to his. Dropping the bag in his hand, he wrapped his arms around waist and pulled her closer. They pulled away moments later, needing air, and looked into each other's eyes.

"Wow," she breathed and he chuckled. He pecked her lips before returning to put her bags in the trunk of the car. Moving to the passenger side, he opened the door for her and she slid inside. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said and closed the door behind her. He climbed into the driver's seat and pulled out of the parking space.

"So what do you have planned?"

"A lot of things. First things first, though, I'm introducing you to my parents."

"S-So soon?" she asked nervously.

"Yeah. They deserve to meet the girl I haven't stopped talking about since I got home two years ago."

She smiled and blushed. "I still can't believe it's been two years since all that happened."

"Neither can I."

"Have you heard from any of the others?"

"I haven't heard from them so much as Zeke has told me about them."

"How are they?"

"Well, Taylor and Chad are getting married."

Kelsi gasped. "Really? Oh that's so great."

"Yep."

"What about Troy?"

"He's…well, he's getting along. Zeke says he misses her, but he's okay."

"Poor guy. Has anyone heard anything about her?"

"No. Contact with her has been hard because of where she lives. She doesn't exactly have enough money to have a phone."

"That means Troy doesn't even know if she's still alive."

"She is. Zeke said that she sent him a postcard a few months ago."

"Still that was a few months ago. Who knows if she's still alive or not. She might even be in the same situation again."

"Kelsi, calm down. She's fine."

"How do you know that?"

"I don't, but being pessimistic isn't going to help."

"I guess you're right." He smiled and grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together.

"She's fine. Right now, though, let's focus on us. Alright?" She nodded and smiled, squeezing his hand.

**Zeke's apartment-Los Angeles, California**

His hands held her waist gently as her petite body rocked against his muscular build. She leaned forward and kissed his lips, her blonde mane falling over them. He reached up with one hand and wove it through her golden locks, gripping them slightly. Her perfectly manicured hands ran over his shoulders and down his chest, causing a moan to escape from his throat. She giggled and pulled back from the kiss.

"What are you giggling about?" he asked lowly.

"Nothing," she answered before kissing him again. She pulled back and sat up straight as her orgasm neared. He took both her hands in his and laced their fingers as they came together.

Moving off of him, she laid down beside him and turned on her side. He mirrored her and looked into her eyes. He pushed a strand of her sweat drenched hair out of her face and kissed her softly.

"I love you," he whispered.

Her heart fluttered and she smiled. "I love you, too." He pulled her to him and wrapped his arm securely around her waist. "You do know I have class in an hour?"

"Yeah, I know, but I don't care."

"Zeke," she whined and he chuckled.

"Don't worry. I'll let you get up in time for you to get to your class."

"Are you gonna give me a ride?"

"Of course." She smiled and buried her face in his bare chest, kissing his left pectoral. "Have you heard from your brother?"

"No, but I'm guessing it's because Kelsi's supposed to be staying with him for a while."

"Someone's going to be getting some action."

She laughed, running a hand up and down his abs. "Like you just did?"

"Yeah." He kissed her forehead and ran his hand down her back.

Minutes later, she pulled away with no protest from him and got up. He watched silently as she walked around the room in all her naked glory, looking for pieces of her clothing. When she was fully dressed, she turned to him and gave him a pointed glare.

"I'm getting up," he said and got out of bed. She left his bedroom and went into the living room to wait for him. Minutes later, he walked into the front room, fully dressed. "Okay, let's go," he said, grabbing his car keys.

"I know I shouldn't be thinking about the future, but I'm gonna miss this when I have to go back to South Africa or England, whichever one my father's in, in two years."

"Or…" he started, grabbing her hand. "Or you could stay with me."

"Zeke, my visa ends when I graduate."

"I know, but there's a way to let you stay."

"How?"

Stopping at a red light, he looked at her and kissed the back of her hand. "Marry me."

She gasped. "Y-You really want to?"

"If it means keeping you here with me, then yeah."

She smiled. "I'd love to marry you."

He leaned over and kissed her, not caring that the light turned green or that cars behind him were honking. All he cared about was the girl who had just agreed to be his for the rest of their life.

**First Baptist Church-Canton, Mississippi**

"Do you, Chad Andrew Danforth, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, to honor and obey, through sickness and in health, til death do you part?" the reverend asked.

"I do," Chad answered, looking into Taylor's eyes with a smile.

"And do you, Taylor Marie McKessie, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, to honor and obey, through sickness and in health, til death do you part?"

"I do."

"The rings." Chad took his ring and slid it onto Taylor's finger. "With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed."

Taylor, in turn, took her ring and slid onto Chad's finger. "With this ring, I thee wed."

The reverend put his hands together and smiled. "By the power rested in me by God and the state of Mississippi, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride." Chad grinned and cupped her cheek, kissing her lips softly. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Chad Andrew Danforth." The church cheered and the two newlyweds made their way down the aisle.

After the ceremony, they stood at the back of the church, thanking everyone for attending. Once they had thanked everyone, they climbed into their limousine.

"I can't believe we're finally married," she said as she cuddled into his side.

"Neither can I. I never thought this would happen. I always thought you didn't see me as someone you could marry."

"Shows how much you know," she said with a grin.

He chuckled. "Yeah, it does."

She lightly traced her hand across his chest and laced her fingers with his. "You know I love you, right?"

He smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Of course I do. And I love you, too."

"How do you think the others are doing?"

"Well, I know Zeke told me that Sharpay's attending UCLA, so she's around."

"And you don't know anything about Kelsi or Gabriella?"

"No."

"What about Troy?"

"Zeke says he's…well, okay. He misses Gabriella a lot, but he's getting on with his life."

"Did he really think she would leave and he would forget about her?"

"Unfortunately, but that's proving to be harder than he thought."

"I feel so sorry for him."

"Yeah, but he'll figure something out. In the past two years I've known him, he seems like a guy that can solve problems easily."

"Seems like you two have become good friends."

"Yep. We clicked the first day."

She smiled and looked up at him. "We're gonna be okay, right?"

He looked at her and smiled. "Of course we are."

"And…what happened before won't happen again…right?"

"Not to you or to our children, I promise." She smiled softly and snuggled up to his chest. He tightened his grip on her and placed a kiss on the top of her head. The promise he made was to her and himself. He knew that if something like that ever happened again to her or any of the children they were gonna have, he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

**Santa Cruz, Cavite City, Philippines-a few miles southwest of Manila**

Gabriella sat staring at the setting sun, wishing she could be back with Troy. Sure, she sent him postcards whenever she had the money and he sent one back, but she missed him. It's been two years since she saw him last and each day, she could feel her memory of him slipping away from her.

"Gabriella!" She turned her head and watched her brother run up to her.

"What's wrong?"

"There's someone here who wants to see you." Sighing, she got up and followed her brother back to their house. Her father had taught both her and her brother how to speak English and he encouraged them to use it between each other. Their mother, however, didn't speak the language so they spoke to her in Tagalog, keeping their knowledge of their native language fresh in their minds.

"Do you know who?" she asked as they stepped up to the door.

"No. He never gave his name."

"_He? It couldn't be, could it?"_ As she walked through the door, her eyes caught sight of a familiar head of chestnut hair and her breath caught. "Troy."

He turned to her and smiled. "Hey, Gabriella, long time no see."

Grinning from ear to ear, she ran up to him and leapt into his arms, throwing hers around his neck. "I can't believe it's you."

He chuckled. "Well, believe it. I didn't spend all those hours on a plane for you not to believe me."

"What are you doing here?" she asked, pulling back.

"Came to see you. What else would I be doing here?"

"Gabriella, sino siya?"(Gabriella, who's this?) her mother asked as she stared at the reunion between her daughter and the strange man.

"Siya po si Troy, isang kaibigan. Tinulugan po ninya ako nung nasa Amerika ako"(His name is Troy. He's a friend, mom. He helped me when I was in America)

Her mother looked to Troy with a smile on her face before taking his hand in hers. "Maraming salamat, Troy, sa pagligtas mo sa anak ko." (Thank you so much, Troy, for saving my daughter)

Troy smiled and nodded. "Wala pong anuman."(You're welcome)

"Marunong ka magtagalog?" (You know Tagalog?) her mother asked, surprised that he could speak her native tongue.

"Konti po." (A bit)

Turning to her daughter, she smiled. "Gabi, Tamang-tama siya maging asawa mo." (Gabi, he would be a perfect husband for you)

"Nay!" (Mom!) Gabriella whined before shaking her head and turning back to Troy. "Sorry about her."

He chuckled. "It's okay."

"When did you get so good at understanding?"

"I've been getting lessons, preparing myself for when I came to see you and got a chance to meet your parents."

She smiled softly. "You've been planning this all along."

"Guilty as charged." She shook her head before wrapping her arms around his neck.

"What's going on here?" her father asked as he stepped through the door.

"Dad!" She unwrapped herself from Troy's embrace and walked over to her father. "Dad, I want you to meet someone." She grabbed her father's hand and led him over to Troy. "Ama, this is Troy. He helped me when I was in America. He's the one I told you about."

Her father's eyes widened before looking at the man in front of you. "Thank you. Thank you so much for keeping her alive in that hellhole," he said shaking Troy's hand.

"It was my pleasure, really. Gabriella's a great girl and I couldn't let them break her spirits."

"So what brings you to this side of the Pacific Ocean?"

"Well, two things. First things first, I had to check up on her and see how she's doing," he said looking at her. She blushed and shyly looked away.

Her father looked at the way Troy was looking at Gabriella and knew this man was in love with her. "And the second?" he asked, though somewhere deep inside him, he knew what he what the second thing was.

Troy turned his blue eyes away from the girl he had been missing so badly to her father, clearing his throat softly. "Well, the second thing was…" He took a deep breath before continuing "to ask your permission to marry your daughter." Gabriella gasped and her father looked at Troy with a smile on his face.

"You have my permission, my blessing, everything just as long as you make my Gabriella happy."

"Oh, I plan on it," he said before turning to Gabriella, her face still staring at him in shock. "So, Gabriella…" He got down on one knee and pulled out a black velvet box. "Gusto mo ba akong mapangasawa?" (Will you marry me?) he asked, opening it.

She smiled brightly, tears springing from her eyes and nodded. "Oo." (Yes) He smiled and took out the ring, slipping it on her right ring finger. "Looks like you've done more than just learning the language," she said as he stood up.

"Yeah, I've also looked up cultural things, marriage included." She giggled and he moved pieces of hair from her face.

Moments later, her mother walked up to him and kissed both cheeks. "Tinatanggap kita sa pamilya namin," (Welcome to the family) she said and walked over to her husband.

Gabriella smiled and grabbed Troy's hand, lacing her fingers with his. He looked at her, all the love he was feeling for her shining in his crystal blue irises. "Mahal kita," she said softly. He smiled and cupped her cheek before leaning in and placing his lips on hers.

**The End**

**A/N: I forgot to mention, the thing with him putting the ring on her right hand, in the Philippines the ring goes on the right instead of the left like it does in America and that's because the Bible states that 'The Son is seated at the right hand of the Father' so the wife and mother sits at the left and wears her ring on the right.**


End file.
